Misfit High School!
by Ulquiorra9000
Summary: High school AU. Even if Midoriya and his friends are in regular high school and don't have villains lurking in the shadows, there's still crazy teachers, homework, awkward love squares, dates, adventure, a slumber party or two... and did anyone mention the love square? What is Izuku Midoriya to do when a new neighbor captures his heart?
1. Chapter 1

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 1: Meet the New Girl (and try to make a good impression on people for once)**

Izuku Midoriya was getting just a little bit tired of Denki taking _forever_ to do what he and Bakugo had been urging him to do, and halfway through English class that September afternoon, Midoriya clenched a determined fist on his desk and decided that it was time for action. While Present Mic was busy writing more boring verbs on the chalkboard and singing them out loud (very annoying), Midoriya gave Bakugo a nod to say _I'm gonna do it_ , then he got out a piece of paper and scribbled a message on it.

"Aw yeah, so this word's _walk_ , and this little number is _run_ , and this one's my favorite, it's _think_ , oh yeah!" Present Mic said, writing the words with way too much flourish. Meanwhile, with his back turned, Midoriya folded up his message into a paper airplane, took aim, and tossed it right at Denki's head.

 _Thunk_. The airplane hit right on target, and Denki flinched at the sudden impact. He fumbled with the paper and nearly dropped it, and turned to see who had thrown it.

Midoriya pretended to be interested in the little songbird singing outside the classroom window.

"Midoriya!" Iida hissed. His glasses' panes flashed. "Are you passing notes?"

"Just one, I promise," Midoriya muttered back. He normally didn't cause a big ruckus in class, but heck, one little thing wouldn't hurt. And if he didn't do it, Bakugo would, and Denki would have a proper dent in his skull.

Iida scoffed but otherwise turned his attention back to the lesson. Behind him, Jiro snorted with laughter.

Meanwhile, Bakugo and Midoriya watched carefully as Denki unfolded the airplane-message and read it. At once, Denki turned bright red and gave Midoriya a scandalized look. "I-it's too soon, Izuku!" he blurted out, and way too loud.

Bakugo clapped the heel of his palm against his forehead. "Dumbass..."

"Whoa! Did I hear a little negative talk?" Present Mic said dramatically as he turned around, treating the chalk like a mic. "Was that you, Denki Kaminari?"

More students giggled as Denki tried to save face. The blond lightning boy hid the paper airplane just before the teacher saw it, but the spotlight was still on him. "Uh..."

"Speak up, boyo!" Present Mic said, cupping a hand near his ear.

"I... I can't inflect all these verbs," Denki said half-heartedly. "English is kinda hard."

" _Everything_ 's hard for him to grasp," Jiro muttered, and this time, it was Mineta who snorted in laughter.

Present Mic offered a hand. "Step on stage and try it, little Denki!" he offered. "Be a star!"

"Little?" Denki bristled.

"Just come up and do it! Yeah!"

Denki looked to Yaoyorozu or Shoto (the brains of the class) for help, but he was on his own. So, he slouched his way up to the chalkboard.

"Inflect _play_ to the past tense," Present Mic said.

"Uh..." With trembling hands, Denki wrote his answer on the board.

The whole class burst out laughing.

"Ohhhhhh! Swing and a miss!" Present Mic said. "Son, you wrote _peppered_! That's not even close!"

Denki hung his head. "But..."

"Try _grow_."

Denki ended up with _gown_.

"Or _wash_?"

 _Wish._

"Okay, maybe next time," Present Mic said, and he actually patted Denki on the head before the mortified student hurried back to his seat.

As Present Mic turned back to the chalkboard, Denki whirled around in his seat. "What the hell!" he mouthed. Midoriya merely gave him a sympathetic look and two thumbs up for encouragement while Bakugo was trying not to have an aneurysm holding back his laughter.

*o*o*o*o*

After school let out that day, Denki was still pretty riled up when he joined Midoriya and Bakugo on their way across the school's front grounds.

"That was totally uncool!" Denki cried, now that it was actually safe to raise his voice. "Midoriya, I thought you were on my side!"

Midoriya gave Denki a friendly pat on the back. "I am, Denki. I can tell you need a little push, so I gave it to you."

"Yeah, but what about that fiasco in class?" Denki insisted. "And wait a minute. I _don't_ need a little push from you guys! I'm fine!"

"Doubt it," Bakugo said snidely. He had his school bag slung over his shoulder like usual, trying to look cool as his tie was jostled in a sudden breeze.

Denki made a frustrated noise. "You're just pulling my leg, aren't you?"

Bakugo pointed up ahead. "If you're such a big shot, there she is. Make your move."

Both Denki and Midoriya looked ahead at a chattering group of girlfriends, where Tsuyu, Jiro, Yaoyorozu, Itsuka Kendo, and most importantly of all, Mina Ashido were chattering happily. Midoriya watched as Mina laughed at one of Itsuka's jokes, not a care in the world. She radiated cheer and warmth. No wonder Denki was into her!

Denki was already cherry-red again. "Hey, no sweat. Watch me."

"He ain't gonna do it," Bakugo commented as Denki raced ahead to greet the girls.

"He's gonna make it," Midoriya said. "I have a good feeling about this time."

Bakugo huffed. "You sure give that lightning dumbass a lot of credit."

Meanwhile, Denki got the girls' attention and they stopped to listen to him, so Midoriya and Bakugo halted to give them a little space.

 _Come on, stick the landing,_ Midoriya urged Denki as he watched the lightning boy chat up Mina Ashido. Any second now...!  
The girls all laughed out loud as Mina made an apologetic face and motioned at Denki, and the lightning boy hung his head just like in class. He just stood there as the girls moved on, already chattering again.

Midoriya and Bakugo caught up with Denki and they resumed their usual walk home. "I knew it -" Bakugo started.

"Hey, at least he tried," Midoriya cut in. "Right?"

"Find me a decent hole in the ground," Denki moaned, "so I can climb into it and vanish."

Bakugo gave Denki a pretty rough clap on the back. "Buck up, pal. There's always next time."

"What next time?" Denki howled. "They all laughed at me! And it goes without saying that Mina said no!"

"Askin' girls out ain't easy. Why d'you think pickup artists exist?" Bakugo said.

Denki scowled. "To be sleazy?"

"No, to show us amateurs how it's done," Bakugo said with satisfaction as the three boys rounded a corner in the idyllic neighborhood. Overhead, a plane flew far overhead. "Like Shoji."

"Shoji?" Denki said in disbelief. "That doesn't count! He only got Yaoyorozu to go out with him _once_. And they decided to be just friends afterwards."

Bakugo made a nasty grin. "Which makes him a god compared to you."

Denki's hysterical response wasn't fit for sane human ears.

"And speaking of which," Bakugo said, wincing, "check it out, Midoriya. She's here again."

 _Oh no..._ Midoriya recognized that cunning, fox-like stare that peeked over the hedges up ahead. "Run!" Midoriya cried.

The three boys raced past that property just as a certain girl erupted from behind the hedge. "Izuku! Darling!" she cried. "I've been waiting for you! Come back!"

"No way!" Midoriya cried over his shoulder.

Himiko Toga waved her arms. "I can't go on without you, Izuku! Because I love you!"

"Hear that?" Bakugo teased. "Better go back!"

"You first!"

The three boys got lucky; Toga only chased them for one block before slinking off. "I'll see you tomorrow, Izuku darling!" Toga cried, blowing a kiss.

Midoriya would have sighed if her weren't out of breath. "Class 1-C... has the craziest people..."

"So you're _not_ gonna hit that?" Bakugo said with a straight face.

Midoriya jolted. "H-hey! Language!"

"What a prude." Bakugo's eyes widened as the boys turned another corner to where Midoriya's house was. "Hey, what's up with all that?"

Midoriya spotted the moving van parked in the driveway of the empty house next to his, and he also spotted two moving men carrying a large dresser down the truck's ramp. That dresser looked like the kind a girl would have...

"Hey, new neighbors," Bakugo said. "They'd better not be lame."

"That's mean," Denki commented.

"Let's meet them," Midoriya offered. "It'll just take a minute."

Bakugo shrugged. "Why not."

Midoriya brought his two friends to the front door and knocked.

"Who is it?" A man's voice answered right before he swung the door open. The man standing there had light brown hair and stylish stubble on his jaw, and looked pretty friendly. He saw the three boys and waved hello. "Oh. Good afternoon. Can I help you?"

Midoriya smiled and pointed at the house to the left. "I'm Izuku Midoriya. I live with my mom over there in house 14. Nice to meet you!"

"Katsuki Bakugo," Bakugo muttered as he glanced away, clearly not interested.

"Denki Kaminari. Nice to meet you, too!" Denki said cheerily, earning him a scathing look from Bakugo.

"Nice to meet you kids. I'm Daisuke Uraraka," the man said. "I just moved here for work with my wife and daughter. They're still busy with the move, though." He brightened. "In fact, my daughter is around your age. You'll probably see her at school tomorrow."

"Can we meet her?" Midoriya blurted out, then mentally winced. Why was he being so forward?!

Mr. Uraraka looked skeptical. "Well, um... we're still busy -"

"Dad? Who're you talking to?" a girl's voice said, and a brunette young woman Midoriya's age came down the house's stairs, dressed lightly in jean shorts and a pink top.

"New neighbors," Mr. Uraraka said warmly. "This is Midoriya, who lives next door. And his friends live around here, too. Let's try and get along with them, okay?"

"I'm Denki!" Denki said just as cheerily as before.

"Katsuki Bakugo," the gruff boy said in the same tone as earlier.

"Come on, dad, let them in! They look so nice!" the girl said. "I'll show them around. I mean, I was gonna try and meet the neighbors soon anyway."

"All right." Mr. Uraraka stepped back. "Welcome, boys. Just make sure the moving men can get around you. They're still busy."

"Thanks." Midoriya couldn't stop grinning as he and his friends followed the girl up the stairs, probably to her room.

"I'm Ochaco Uraraka," the girl said over her shoulder. "I'm gonna be your classmate!"

"Oh, you'll love our school," Midoriya said eagerly. "Everyone's so cool and friendly, and the teachers are great, and..."

Ochaco giggled. "Hey, I'm already enrolled. You don't have to sell it."

"Uh..." Midoriya felt himself go red. "I-I just meant..."

"I'm just teasing. Thanks for welcoming me." Ochaco smiled and led the boys to the upstairs landing. "I already have some of my stuff unpacked. Come and see."

Denki looked shocked. "You're letting dudes into your room?"  
"Oh come on, I'm not shy," Ochaco said, leading them inside. "Make yourselves at home! Nothing scary in here, I promise."

She was right; although her bed wasn't in here yet, Ochaco had set up several framed photos on the walls: one of a hyacinth in sunset light, one of a cliff face, and one of a set of old fashioned power tools. She also had a large, fancy desk set up which had a vase of flowers on one side,a painted clay cup with pens and pencils in it, and a laptop turned partly away from where Midoriya stood. Ochaco also had a charming, white painted bookshelf in one corner with a bunch of random hardback and paperback volumes stacked in it, a weird mix of technical manuals, shojo manga volumes, and travel guides.

Midoriya tried to save face. "So, where are you fr -" he started, only to be interrupted by several loud voices.

"Ochaco! Who are those guys?" a girl's disembodied voice cried, and Midoriya let out a terrified yelp.

"Ghosts!" he cried.

Bakugo snorted. "Dude. It's the new girl's friends on Skype. Look."

He pointed at the laptop on the desk, and Midoriya moved over to see that four girls were all crowded together on the screen, all of them eyeing the boys curiously.

"Oh!" Ochaco winced. "Sorry! I almost forgot. I was chatting with my friends from my old school, just checking in."

"Ooooooh, Ochaco, you're bold as ever," one of the girls said in a teasing tone. "Hey, what's that blond hottie's name?"

Bakugo and Denki looked at each other in confusion; they were both blond, after all.

"Is he one of the neighbors?" another girl asked eagerly.

"Which one?" Ochaco asked.

"The green-haired guy's not bad either," another girl added slyly before Ochaco stomped over to the laptop and shut it.

"Oops. Lost my internet connection," she said, clearly annoyed.

"Your friends sure are nosy," Bakugo commented.

"Don't mind them. They're always pulling stuff like that." Ochaco smiled again. "Anyway, I came here from Mie prefecture with my family. Mom and dad have a construction business, and there's some good contracts here my mom found, so... here we are!" She spread her arms wide. "Well... except Kuro. He's staying in his crate for now."

"Who?" Midoriya asked. He suddenly pictured some poor guy trapped in a shipping crate for some reason.

"My dog! I got him just last year," Ochaco said brightly. She clasped her hands together under her chin and started daydreaming. "My dad bought him for my birthday. He's this big black German Shepherd with the biggest heart in the world."

"Sounds like he could beat Midoriya in a fight," Bakugo joked. "Izuku's scared of dogs, you see."

"I am not!" Midoriya snapped.

"You ran away from a Shiba Inu. I saw it."

"It was freaking me out!"

"My point exactly, chum."

Ochaco giggled again. "What about you guys? How's school? What's fun to do around here?"

"Besides the arcade, swimming pools, and new movie theater with rumble seats?" Bakugo said with a sly grin. "Not... a whole lot, actually, which is why Izuku and I like to make our own fun."

"It sounds illegal when you put it like that," Denki said.

"I mean, we poke around the outskirts on our bikes and explore sometimes," Bakugo said. "We like to watch the world breathe. At least, that's the lame way Izuku puts it." He offered a casual grin.

Ochaco looked impressed. "That sounds really cool! Can I come sometime?"

"You got a bike?" Bakugo asked.

"No, but I can beg my dad to buy me one," Ochaco said with a grin just as sly as Bakugo's.

"I like to play basketball," Denki offered, but no one was listening. And at that moment, a woman's voice called up the stairs, "Ochaco, dear, please come own and help. We have a lot of boxes to move."

"Okay, mom!" Ochaco called back. She smiled. "Sorry, guys, but we've gotta keep unpacking, or I'll have to sleep on a cardboard box tonight."

"Sorry," Midoriya said automatically, anything to keep this girl smiling.

Ochaco led the three boys down the stairs and to the front door. "Oh! I almost forgot," she said. "What are your quirks?"

"Explosion," Bakugo said with relish.

"Lightning," Denki said.

"I... don't have one," Midoriya admitted.

"Oh. Uh..." It looked like Ochaco wanted to reassure him, but tactfully decided not to comment on it. "Mine's zero gravity. I would use it to help these poor moving guys, but I can't control it very well yet. Mom doesn't want me using it until I get formal training after I graduate high school."

"Sounds like fun," Denki said. Bakugo merely grunted.

"See ya guys tomorrow!" Ochaco said, waving happily as Denki and Bakugo crossed the Uraraka family's front lawn and across the street. Midoriya moved to cross the threshold, but Ochaco held his shoulder. "Hang on a minute," she said.

Midoriya blinked. "Me?" _Yes!_

"I-I just gotta ask you something," Ochaco said bashfully, going pink in the face. "If you don't mind?"

Midoriya's heart raced as he did a victory lap in his mind. _Here it comes!_

Ochaco beamed. "Your friend Bakugo... is he single?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 2: Welcome to the Class (don't mind the gossip, or the teachers, or the coach, or the food, or...)**

Homeroom with Mr. Aizawa would have been routine like it usually was, but today had a fun twist in store when Mr. Aizawa cleared his throat.

"Students," he said in his usual indifferent mumble, "we have a transfer student today. Please make her feel welcome."

"Yes! A girl!" Mineta muttered to himself, pumping his fists. "Please tell me she's a busty maiden!" Aizawa either didn't notice or simply didn't mind, because he merely slid open the door and motioned for someone to come in.

Midoriya grinned and sat up straight, knowing exactly what was coming. He nodded to Bakugo, who shrugged and made _What's the big deal?_ face.

Ochaco Uraraka was the big deal, that's what!

"Hi, everyone! I'm Ochaco Uraraka," the new girl said with a big smile, standing next to Aizawa at the front of the room. "I moved here with my mom and dad from Mie prefecture, and I can't wait to make friends with you all. My quirk is zero gravity, but I try not to use it. Dad says I could put someone's eye out."

A few students chuckled politely while Midoriya felt a big, silly smile to match Ochaco's spreading across his face. Yesterday, this new girl had totally dodged his passionate interest... but heck, just having her around brightened his day. He wasn't the type to just sulk. Usually not, that is.

Mineta, meanwhile, was already salivating, so Midoriya made a mental note to tell Denki to give him a good zap later.

"You can take any of the empty seats," Aizawa said. "Go ahead."

Ochaco slowly stepped forward, a finger on her chin as she looked around. Then she hurried over and settled into the empty desk next to Midoriya's.

What?!

 _She's not... sitting next to Bakugo?_ Midoriya tried not to blurt this out. After all, there was an empty seat right behind him! If she was so into Bakugo, why not?

"Hi again," Ochaco said to Midoriya, smoothing her uniform's jacket. "Let's be good neighbors."

"Class neighbors _and_ regular neighbors," Midoriya commented lightly, unsure where Ochaco was going with this. "It's a pleasure." _Actually, I don't know what this is!_

Ochaco merely smiled again.

Two minute later, the fun part started.

"You look kinda tired," Mina, who sat in the front row, told Aizawa. "Did you stay up last night?"

"Mmmmmm... somewhat. Graded papers," Aizawa said, rubbing his eyes.

"You should just take a minute," Sero recommended with false innocence. "Recharge before your other duties."

"If you lot behave yourselves," Aizawa said.

Everyone nodded eagerly.

"Fine. Go straight to your next class when the bell rings," Aizawa said, then promptly unfolded his favorite yellow sleeping bag, crawled in, and started making Z's.

There was a loud rustle as everyone got out loose notebook paper and started scribbling on it.

"What's going on?" Ochaco asked Midoriya, until he gently shushed her, wrote a quick note, and passed it.

Ochaco read his note: _Aizawa can hear us if we talk. But if we pass notes, we can say anything we want and play games on paper! Stuff that would get us in big trouble! And some of us draw dirty pictures, but I promise I won't._

Midoriya made a small, funny shrug when Ochaco looked up from the note in disbelief. "What the -" she started, but Midoriya held a finger to his lips and pointed at the paper.

Ochaco made a nervous grin as she wrote something and passed it back. Midoriya read her new line (her kanji was very neatly written): _No one at my old school did this. Won't we get in trouble?_

 _There's a super strict cell phone rule here,_ Midoriya wrote back. _But paper notes don't even get us detention, so this in case another teacher comes in and sees us. Present Mic even once gave someone extra credit for a really good drawing!_

Ochaco hid a giggle and wrote back, _Okay. This is fun! I'm not such a bad artist myself. Should I draw you a picture?_

Before Midoriya could happily write back, Mineta crumpled a paper into a ball and tossed it expertly onto Ochaco's desk. Looking curious, she unfolded it and immediately went red in the face.

Midoriya stole a glance, and his gentlemanly mind automatically put black censor bars all over it.

 _Dude!_ Midoriya swiped the paper, crumpled it into a tighter ball, and threw it hard at Mineta's face. Mineta yelped as it smack against his nose.

Bakugo, meanwhile, crumpled up his own paper and tossed onto Midoriya's desk. Midoriya unfolded that sucker and read: _Hey Deku, how good is your English? Try this..._ The rest was a hangman game, ready for play!

"Hey, that looks like fun," Denki whispered in the seat behind Midoriya's and to the left. "Let me help."

 _You have the worst grades in English for the class,_ Midoriya wrote back.

 _Pleeeeease?_ Denki wrote back in katakana.

 _Fine._

The secret phrase had five short words. Hmmmmmm... Midoriya guessed the letter T and tossed the paper back.

Success! When Bakugo tossed the paper back (there was a lot of tossing going on by now), Midoriya noted that two T's had appeared. He was now dealing with _ _ _ _ _T T_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ . What should he do next? He passed the paper so Denki could take a turn.

 _What the...!_ When Midoriya got the paper back, he saw that Denki had guessed Q, and that earned him the hangman's head.

Midoriya rolled his eyes and passed Denki a note. _Hey! Q is one of the rarest letters in English!_

 _Shucks, I didn't know that._

 _Which is why I should finish this!_

 _Pleeeeeeeeaaaaaaaase?_

Midoriya didn't have it in him to turn down those sad puppy eyes.

So, Midoriya next guessed the letter E, and the result now read _ _ _ _ _T T_E _E_ _ _ _. What was next? Midoriya passed the paper to Denki, who guessed the letter X.

 _HAHA! Denki's an idiot!_ Bakugo wrote one the paper when he passed it back. He also drew a smiley face making a taunting expression.

Midoriya forced Denki to sit back down when the other boy rose in anger, and he took his next guess: G. Now he had _ _ _ _ _T T_E _E_ G_ _ _. And he made sure Denki's eager hands couldn't get the paper as he kept guessing letters. F and B didn't appear, but W and L did, and now, Midoriya scratched his head as he contemplated _ _ _ _ _T T_E _EW G_ _L.

"Watch out!" Tokoyami hissed, and the entire class went on high alert as Aizawa twitched and muttered in his sleep.

"No... I have enough hammers... watch the bear," Aizawa mumbled in his sleep, and he rolled over to face away from the class.

Ochaco was red in the face as she clapped a hand over mouth to hide her laughter. Midoriya gave her the thumbs up and kept guessing those letters. He wasn't the best at English either (while Shoto was a master at it), but Bakugo had such a sly look on his face, Midoriya just _had_ to crack this code!

The letters M, V, and C all failed, and Midoriya was nearly out of guesses. But he doubled down and got a few more correct guesses, and now, he nearly had the whole thing, trying to remember his decent-but-not-great English vocabulary.

AS_ OUT THE NEW G_RL.

"I can't help it. I'm too curious," Ochaco whispered as she gently took the paper from Midoriya's hands. "I'm not bad at English. Let me try."

Midoriya gave her another thumbs up.

"I got it," Ochaco whispered once she finished. "This reads... um..."

Midoriya looked over her shoulder and nearly had a heart attack. _KACCHAN! NO!_ he thought in panic. Red alert! Red alert! He swiped the paper back and stared in mingled shock and embarrassment at the phrase "Ask out the new girl." He didn't have to be a qualified interpreter to know what _that_ sentence said! Those Roman letters were clear as day!

Now it was Bakugo who was stifling his riotous laughter behind his hand. And to make matters worse, Denki seized the paper and tossed it around to find someone who could read it. At once, he struck gold: Sero translated the sentence, wrote copies, and sent a memo about to everyone except the new girl in question!

There was so much stifled giggling that even Aizawa was startled out of his nap.

"Bananas," he blurted out as he woke up. He scratched his head. "Why is everyone laughing?"

"No reason, _monsieur,"_ Aoyama said in a singsong voice.

Aizawa got to his feet and scowled. "Are you lot laughing at me? My difficult sleep schedule is not a joke."

"Wouldn't dream of it, prof," Bakugo said snidely.

Aizawa grunted. "I swear, you kids are gonna be the death of me."

It was pretty lucky for everyone that the bell for the first class rang, and Midoriya was the first one to bolt out the door before anyone could start a scene. He swore he had steam coming out of his ears as he rocketed down the hall toward the art history classroom.

 _Kacchan, you're the one who's gonna be the death of me!_

*o*o*o*o*

The morning classes were only slightly awkward in the wake of homeroom, thank goodness, and by lunch, Midoriya was finally able to relax and share a table with Bakugo, Denki, and Mina, and somehow, neither Denki nor Mina caught on to Midoriya's and Bakugo's hints that they, too, should go out. It was just too fun to tease them and test them, but one of these days... one of these days, someone had to spell it out for them...!

The afternoon's classes went without a hitch, but Midoriya was getting nervous. Today was the day... when he'd finally suck it up, be a grown up, and take that final step!

"Let's do this, Deku," Bakugo said, draping an arm over Midoriya's shoulders as both boys bravely made their way to the soccer field, where tryouts for the team were still taking place. Their high school was unusual; the soccer coach let students try out for the team at any time during the year instead of just once. And for good reason.

The soccer team captain (it was a coed team, by the way) blew his whistle. "All right, boys and girls! We've got some fresh meat here! Let's wish them luck as they try their absolute best!"

Midoriya and Bakugo weren't alone; they joined a crowd of around fifteen more students who wanted to get on the prestigious soccer team, and the musclebound coach Toshinori Yagi clapped a few times to welcome them and offered a dazzling smile.

"Okay, everyone's here! Great!" Coach Yagi cried. "Now, on the count of three, say _We can do it!_ Ready? One, two, three... _we can do it_!"

He roared those last four words and thrust a fist in the air. Silence surrounded him.

"That was so cold," coach Yagi said sadly, hugging himself and looking away. "Kids these days have no spirit... it's a real shame..."

Bakugo grunted. "Come on, coach, I have a team to join."

Coach Yagi recovered at once. "Now that's what I'm talking about! Spirit!" he cried. "Let's see who's got what it takes to join my team!"

The students spread on the field to prepare, and one of the current team members jogged over to Midoriya, a certain, familiar girl. "Izuku, darling!" Himiko Toga cheered as she wrapped him a tight hug. "I knew you'd come and see me!"

"I-I'm trying out for the team!" Midoriya gasped in the girl's tight grasp.

Coach Yagi peeled Toga off of Midoriya. "Now, let's save the celebrations for after he gets on the team," the coach said.

"Oh, I know he'll get on the team. So we can be together _for-e-ver_ ," Toga said, making a bashful look as she gently ran her fingers down her face, but the hungry glint in her eyes sent shivers down Midoriya's spine.

 _This had better work...!_

Midoriya wasn't sure how coach Yagi was going to test the students' skills in soccer, and once the tryouts started, he realized that the coach didn't even have a plan; he just let everyone from both the team and the tryout group run around in a semi-formal game, while coach Yagi wrote stuff down on his clipboard, nodding to himself a few times.

"Deku! Quick!" Bakugo finally got the ball and passed it to Midoriya, who already had a solid plan in mind. He got the ball and angled for the goal, but a student from class 1-B intercepted him, then another, and he lost it.

And the rest of the game didn't go so well, either! Midoriya and Bakugo tried to coordinate, but despite it all, the existing teammates were too good, and the others trying out weren't helping much. Until Toga came along.

"Deku, darling! I've got you!" Toga cried, and she actually tackled two students to the grass to clear Midoriya's way.

"That's cheating!" Midoriya blurted.

"Just kick it, my sweet!"

"Fine!" Midoriya kicked the ball, and landed that goal!

Bakugo spat. "She could stand to help me, too."

But she didn't. Toga threw all the rules out the window and kept tripping people or grabbing the ball with her bare hands, and coach Yagi totally failed to notice. But he did have another opinion.

"Students... I must say..." he started dramatically once the game ended and everyone gathered around him. "You all fail! Not enough skill or passion to make the team!"

All the tryout students groaned, most of all Bakugo. "Gimme another try!" he demanded. "I'll kill it this time!"

"Sorry, kiddo, but that was it for today," coach Yagi said. "I'm sorry."

"He has really high standards, you know," a team member consoled Midoriya, a girl from class 1-B named he recognized as Itsuka Kendo. "Don't feel bad. Maybe next time?"

"Yeah, I guess," Midoriya said with a shrug. Then he noticed the small crowd of students watching on the bleachers... including Ochaco! When did she get here?!

"Hi," Midoriya said, waving to her. "Sorry I didn't do a better job out there."

"Don't worry about it. I had fun watching," Ochaco said, waving back. And just before Midoriya could say something back, Toga caught up and wrapped him in another hug.

"It's okay. I still love you," she said coyly into his ear. "You'll always be mine, Deku darling."

Midoriya felt himself freezing like a deer in headlights as Ochaco took in this whole scene. Why did these things have to happen to him?!

"S-s-sure," he managed to choke out.

Ochaco got up and beamed. "Oh, I didn't realize that you two were together."

"W-wait -" Midoriya cried.

Toga merely held him tighter and giggled.

Ochaco started climbing down the bleachers. "I've got homework to catch up on. I'll see you at class tomorrow, Midoriya. Or is it Deku?"

"I-Izuku Midoriya!" the poor boy cried, but Ochaco was barely listening.

"I'll leave you lovebirds alone," Ochaco said with a wink. "Don't let me interrupt." She turned and walked off.

"Come back tomorrow," Toga cooed in Midoriya's ear. "I'll make sure you get on the team, darling. You and me."

"I-I have to go study! See ya!" Midoriya used a burst of strength to pry free and sprint away before Toga could catch up. But he couldn't outrun the torment in his young heart...!


	3. Chapter 3

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 3: Taking a Tour Around Town (hey, it's not a race! Slow down!)**

"Okay. It's no big deal. It's fine," Midoriya consoled himself in his bedroom that Sunday afternoon, seated on the edge of his bed, taking a deep breath to soothe his racing heart. "People do this all the time."

No one answered, but a few songbirds right outside his window were chirping away. They had better not be mocking him!

Bakugo, Toga, Denki, Mina... he could already imagine their reactions if Midoriya managed to do this. Bakugo would give a manly nod of approval, Toga would freak out, Denki would give a derpy thumbs up, and Mina would eagerly ask for the juicy details, being the gossip queen she was. And most of all, what would his mom think?

"Here goes!" Midoriya unlocked his smart phone and typed in a text message, mouthing it as he went. He braced himself and hit _send._

A minute later, a response popped up, and the sudden chime nearly made Midoriya drop his phone in shock. He fumbled with it and hastily read the message, his eyes going wide. Yes!

Two minutes later, the doorbell rang.

"Izuku, someone's at the door," his mom called out from the kitchen while she was making lunch. "Could you get it, please?"

"Be right there, mom!" Midoriya sprang off his bed, swung his bedroom door open, and practically waltzed to the front door. Today, he would set everything straight and realize his dreams! Assuming he didn't botch things like he usually did.

Best not to think about that.

"Good afternoon," Midoriya said as he swung the door open to greet his favorite neighbor. "Nice to see you again."

"Hi," Ochaco said happily. She was dressed casually in slender, knee-length jeans and a striped, sleeveless shirt in the warm afternoon, with plain leather sandals on her feet. "Look! I brought a little something."

"Hey, this is great. Thanks." Midoriya's heart raced again when he accepted a small wooden basket from her and checked out the homemade desserts inside. Peach cobbler, apple pie, and traditional motchi! Heck yeah!

"It's a neighborly gift," Ochaco said. "My dad thinks it's proper."

"Y-yeah. Good for him," Midoriya said, losing his cool at once and going right into flustered territory. "I-I'll eat these all, I mean, my mom too, she's here..."

"Can I come in?"

Midoriya jumped. "O-oh yeah! I kept you standing there like a... here, come in. Mom! I've got company!"

Ochaco changed into guest house slippers as she stepped inside and shut the door behind her, taking in the place. "Oooooh, it's so nice in here," she said, seeing the white painted bookshelves, the framed photos of flowers, and the hat rack. "It kinda reminds me of my grandmother's house. She's the sweetest old lady."

 _And now I'm her grandmother,_ Midoriya thought dismally, until he snapped himself back into shape. "Yeah. H-here's my mom."

"Welcome, Ochaco," Inko said warmly from the kitchen. "I'm Inko Midoriya."

"Nice to meet you!" Ochaco said cheerily. "I promise I won't stay too long."

"Oh, nonsense. Stay as long as you like," Inko told her. "You could even stay for dinner!"

 _Mom! Let me handle things!_ Midoriya thought, mortified. He gently took hold of Ochaco's shoulders and steered her to his room. "H-how'd you like to see my room?"

"I'd love to," Ochaco said, waving good-bye to Inko as she stepped inside. Meanwhile, Midoriya closed the door and hoped against hope that this would be his moment as Ochaco took the place in. He was even dressed for the occasion, with his fancy black slacks, long-sleeved white buttoned shirt, and a suit vest. Bakugo once told Midoriya that this outfit made him look like a valet, and Midoriya once told him to shut up.

"It's nice and cozy in here. Very warm," Ochaco said simply. "I could totally see you studying in here, Deku. It's the perfect environment."

 _What, just studying?_ Midoriya cleared his throat and made a bashful grin. "I-I think of it as my private estate, somewhere where I can be me with no worry." He mentally kicked himself. What a dumb way to put it!

"Mmmmmm. I think so, too," Ochaco said, but Midoriya could have sworn he heard a disappointed note in her voice. She looked around the place, from the desk cluttered with homework to the simple brass lamp beside it to the twin size bed (cherry wood frame with a headboard) to the short bookcase (Shonen Jump central) to the souvenir poster of Mount Fuji on the wall next to the window (plain light blue drapes).

"S-so..." Midoriya cleared his throat. "You showed me your room, so here's mine. It's only fair."

"Yeah. And you're sure dressed politely," Ochaco commented. "Going somewhere fancy later?"

"U-uh... the rest of my clothes are in the laundry," Midoriya invented. "Sorry."

"I don't mind. You looks nice."

 _Minor victory!_

Ochaco sat on the edge of his bed and smiled and she gently swung her feet back and forth. "So, you and Bakugo..." She went pink and giggled.

"Y-yeah?"

"You guys are best friends, aren't you?"

Bakugo? They were talking about Kacchan now?! "Sure," Midoriya said, sitting on his desk chair. Somehow, it didn't feel right to sit next to this dreamy girl when she was _talking about another dude._ "We met when we were four. His mom was saying how he needed a good influence in his life, and his dad agreed. Let's say that at first, they both got their eyebrows singed off."

Ochaco giggled again. "What a bad boy. What happened next?"

 _She actually likes bad boys?!_ "I was kinda the athletic type, especially since I never developed a quirk, so Kacchan liked my tough spirit and decided that I was worth hanging out with."

Ochaco tilted her head. "He looked down on you?"

"J-just at first! I swear we're really friends! Equals!"

Ochaco smiled. "I'm glad. He's so nice, even if he acts tough. He cares about his friends, doesn't he?"

"Sure. We both learned to ride bicycles together, and once we met Denki and Mina in middle school, we started our own club."

Ochaco stared. "You're kidding. You mentioned exploring town, but your own official club?"

"Naw. We just hang out," Midoriya said bashfully. "But yeah, every weekend, we ride around town and visit the rural areas and see what's fun to do. There was this one time we rode to the next town, and it got so late we decided to pool our cash and stayed in one room at a motel! It's a miracle they even let us stay there without an adult supervising us!"

Ochaco giggled behind her hand. "That's so cool. I wish I had a group like that to hang out with."

"What?"

"My family moves a lot for business," Ochaco admitted. "I mean, I had some friends at my old school, but I knew it wouldn't last. Not in person, at least."

"I, uh..." What was Midoriya's move here? Comfort her? Laugh it off?

Ochaco smiled. "Is Bakugo like your ringleader?"

Midoriya hung his head. _And now we're back to Kacchan._ "Yeah, he formed the group and calls the shots. Plus he's the best rider. He can even do stunts."

"Oh! I'd love to see that!" Ochaco clapped her hands together. "Do you do stunts, too?"

"Only one called 'hit the ground with my face'."

Ochaco made a sympathetic noise. "Well, I don't have a bicycle of my own, but -"

Midoriya yelped like a dog when his cell phone rang, and this time he actually dropped it. Determined not to make eye contact with Ochaco, he knelt and scooped it up, then answered it. "H-hey, Kacchan."

 _"Deku. It's about that time,"_ Bakugo said.

"For what?"

 _"For our afternoon ride, genius,"_ Bakugo responded. "Come on, Denki and Mina are already at my place. Ride up here so we can go."

Midoriya swallowed and stole a glance at the curious Ochaco. "Uh... I have company."

 _"Who, the queen of England? Get a move on!"_ Bakugo said impatiently.

"B-but..."

 _"Ooooooh, I get it. New girl, right?"_

Midoriya went red. "Yeah."

 _"Nice."_

What the heck did Midoriya say now?! He liked those bike rides, but he was trying to put the moves on the new girl here! But he couldn't explain that to Bakugo without giving his intentions away, if Ochaco hadn't already deduced it. And it was starting to seem like Ochaco had eyes only for Bakugo, anyway.

Is this what it felt like, being in a spider's web?

 _This sucks!_

Ochaco's eyes lit up as she went pink in the face. "H-hey, Deku... may I talk to him a bit? If it's okay to use your phone..."

Numb with horror, Midoriya nodded and handed it over.

"Bakugo!" Ochaco said brightly. "Or is it Kacchan? Which is better? ... Lord Explosion Murder? That's a mean nickname, I'll call you Bakugo... and eventually, I'll call you Katsuki! ... anyway, I know about your bicycle gang. I want to come, too!"

She sat and listened to whatever Bakugo said before covering the receiver. "Hey, Deku..."

"Huh?"

Ochaco smiled. "Take me to the bike shop. We're gonna meet your friends there, and I'm gonna buy a bike for the first time ever!"

*o*o*o*o*

One Midoriya changed out his kind-of-like-a-valet outfit into athletic shorts and a plain T-shirt, he got out his bike and walked it to the bike shop with Ochaco in the early afternoon sun. It was a clear day, a bit warm, but otherwise great for riding.

"The bike shop's just a few blocks away," Midoriya told Ochaco once they got going. "It's right next to this bakery, which Kacchan calls 'the great temptation.' Mina keeps saying we should reward ourselves with a huge cake, until Kacchan shows off his bike riding muscles and says he doesn't wanna hide them under fat."

Ochaco giggled. "He's so funny."

 _Yeah, what a joker,_ Midoriya thought, reflecting on Bakugo's look of rage whenever he failed a quiz or couldn't land a bike stunt just right. "Anyway... what kind of bike do you think you'll get? The shop has dirt bikes, sports bikes, and all kinds of accessories."

"I'll have their pinkest little tricycle with tassels on the handles," Ochaco said seriously.

Midoriya stared. "Huh?"

Ochaco burst out laughing. "Just kiding, Deku. I only had something like that when I was little."

"Outgrew it, huh?"

Ochaco made a sly smile. "Yeah, my best friend teased me that I was too old for it, so I 'lost' it and borrowed another friend's dirt bike to show off."

Midoriya could hardly believe his ears. "Hang on, you said that you never rode a bicycle."

"I didn't," Ochaco said with an embarrassed smile. "You're not the only one who can do the 'hit the ground with my face' trick."

Midoriya didn't know whether to burst out laughing or give her a comforting hug.

And at this rate, she'd rather get that hug from Kacchan! Argh!

"Okay, here we are," Midoriya said with a wide grin as he a certain bike shop with three familiar bicycles parked outside. He deposited his bike with the other three, chained it up to the bike rack, and led Ochaco inside. "Welcome to the Hatsume Family Bike Shop - hey!"

"There he is!" a familiar first-year student and business lady said right as she seized him in a bear hug. "I thought you weren't coming, Deku!"

"Neither did I," Bakugo said snidely from near the front counter. Denki and Mina, who stood nearby, waved hello.

"M-Mei. What a pleasant surprise," Midoriya gasped. Why did every girl give him the boa constrictor treatment? His poor ribs...!

Mei Hatsume let him go, gloved hands on her hips. "You're one of my best customers, Deku. Don't scare me like that."

"Sorry. I brought a friend. Have you met her? This is Ochaco Uraraka."

Ochaco did a polite bow. "It's nice to meet you. You have a really cute shop."

"Well, thank you, new girl!" Mei shook Ochaco's right hand in both of hers, her face radiant like always. "Oh, I don't think you're a bike rider yet. Why don't I show you some good models for beginners?"

Ochaco stared. "How did you know?"

Mei pointed. "Little lady, those aren't bike rider's legs. And your wide-eyed curiosity alone gave it away. Just you wait 'till you see the new babies I put on my high-end models! You might be tempted to buy one!"

Ochaco blinked. "Babies?"

"That's what she calls her custom bike parts," Mina offered. "She designed almost everything on my bike, and it feels great. I buy all my stuff from her."

Denki looked sad as he took out his wallet and opened it to show the empty interior. "Me, too. I have to work on my haggling skills..."

Mina patted his shoulder. "There, there..."

Denki looked a little happier.

"Anyway!" Mei seized Ochaco's hand again and yanked her toward a rack of girls' bikes. "Take a look at these! I designed nearly every part on these babies. Try one and see."

"Here goes nothing," Bakugo said, hands in his cargo shorts' pockets.

"Oh yeah," Midoriya realized. "We'll see if she can handle Mei Hatsume the business shark." He crossed his fingers for Ochaco's success, but alas, Mei knew her way around a customer, and twenty minutes later, Ochaco had a brand-new bike that fit like a glove... for 110% of its regular price!

As the five of them pedaled down the street along a familiar route, Ochaco groaned. "I can't believe I had to pay a 'baby tax' on this bike. That sounds more like child support."

Denki snorted with laughter. "You lost your Mei Hatsume virginity. How's it feel?"

"Denki! That's gross!" Mina cried.

Denki winced. "Sorry."

"Anyway," Bakugo said. "We're going over Bottle Bridge first, then cutting through Bad Dog Park and stopping at Ghosty Bus Stop. Sound good to you all?"

Midoriya said "yeah" with Denki and Mina, but Ochaco gave Bakugo a curious look. "Um... where exactly is that?"

"Oh, right." Bakugo cleared his throat as he led the group around a bend on the road. They were now near the edge of town, where the traffic was nice and light. "We figured out nicknames for every spot in town. Bad Dog Park is where Deku keeps getting chases by stray dogs, Ghosty Bus Stop is this lonely bus stop where dumbass Denki _swears_ he saw the ghost of a scary little schoolgirl -"

"She looked right at me with those haunted eye sockets!" Denki wailed.

Bakugo snorted just like Denki did. "Yeah, sure. And Bottle Bridge is where we take breaks to sit on the edge and have a few drinks and talk about life."

Ochaco gasped with awe. "This is the best gang ever!"

"Yeah. Hardcore gangsters!" Denki hollered. "We're the baddest around!"

"You're the one who screamed for your mom when a squirrel landed on your head," Bakugo reminded him.

"Quit making me look bad, man!"

Ochaco nearly fell off her bike laughing as Denki and Bakugo went back and forth, the five of them going across that old bridge like Bakugo promised. Midoriya had been to this part of town hundreds of times, but it was brand new for Ochaco.

"Do some tricks, Bakugo," Ochaco said once the group approached a series of skateboard stunt ramps in the park.

Bakugo put on a false modest tone. "Oh, I dunno... I'm not the type to show off..." He broke into a wide grin. "Duh, I am! Check this out, new girl."

"Yeah! Go, Fireball!" Mina cheered. "That's what I call him when he does stunts," she added to a confused Ochaco.

The four of them stopped to watch as Bakugo got started. He coasted down into the skate park's concrete bottom, and he held onto his bike with one hand as he extended his right hand behind him, palm open. Midoriya saw familiar sparks firing up -

 _FWOOOOM!_ Everyone cheered when Bakugo set off his Explosion quirk and rocketed up a curved ramp, going way higher than anyone else could. He left a trail of sparks and smoke as he did a 360 turn in the air, and he got back into position just in time to land and roll to the other side of the park.

"Do the loop!" Denki hollered, cupping his hands around his mouth.

Ochaco gasped when Bakugo fired up his quirk again and roared off another ramp, going even higher this time. Bakugo set off a few, smaller explosions in midair, and he leaned back hard enough to curve upwards and spin is bike as though riding inside a giant wheel. Everyone clapped and cheered as he finished the loop and arced downward just right to stick the landing.

"Am I the best or what?!" Bakugo cried in victory as he spread both arms in victory, just before he lost balance and did "ht the ground with my face."

Denki and Mina roared with laughter as Ochaco and Midoriya hurried over to help. "No, I'm fine," Bakugo said gruffly as he got up. He dusted off his shorts. "How'd you like that, new girl?"

"I can't believe it! I never saw a quirk used like that before!" Ochaco cried, jumping up and down. "You're incredible!"

"Heh heh. I try."

"Oh, we should definitely hang out more," Ochaco added, a look of longing on her face.

Bakugo gave Midoriya a quick look before nodding. "Uh... yeah, I guess. Wanna check out Ghosty Bus Stop? Give yourself a workout?"

"Yeah. Let's go," Ochaco said eagerly. "Lead the way, boss Kacchan!" She giggled.

Midoriya watched Ochaco go to collect her bike and wondered if it was time he rode right off a cliff.

"She's so into you," Midoriya heard himself say.

Bakugo blinked. "She what?"

"N-nothing." Midoriya looked away.

"No, hang on. The new girl's into me? For real?"

Midoriya made an aggravated noise. "Yeah! She totally is! You're all she talks about, Kacchan."

"Uh... well damn. I didn't even notice."

"You're so dense," Midoriya half-teased him.

Bakugo scowled. "Shove it."

"Sorry."

Bakugo climbed back onto his bike. "Look, she ain't my type, Deku. I'll talk to her, and -"

"No!" Midoriya held out both hands. "I don't want to look desperate."

"I can be subtle."

"No you can't."

Bakugo sighed. "Yeah, you're right. Then what are you gonna do?"

Midoriya looked over his shoulder at Ochaco happily chatting with Denki and Mina. "Dunno. Got any ideas?"

"Visit Ghosty Bus Stop and see if the new girl can keep up. It's a long ride, y'know."

"She's Ochaco Uraraka," Midoriya said a little defensively.

"Sorry, your highness."

Midoriya gestured helplessly. "There's gotta be something I can do."

"Come on, don't be such a chicken. Ask her out! The hangman said so."

Midoriya bristled at Bakugo's teasing expression. "That's not funny. She's my friend, but if I do this wrong, the whole thing will be ruined! I mean, she sits next to me in class! I couldn't face her if I asked her out and got shot down. And she probably wants _you_ to ask her out."

Bakugo grunted. "Slow down, buster. I'm not askin' her out, period. Not interested. You sure you don't want me to talk you up to her?"

"I-I think so. Instead of a wingman, I need... I dunno, some grand gesture, or proof that I'm the right one for her."

Bakugo held back sudden laughter. "Count on Deku to act like some lovesick prince. You kill me."

"What d'you think _you're_ doing?" Midoriya held his head in agony. "Why'd you have to be such a bad boy? That's what she's into."

Bakugo made a crafty grin. "Then you be one."

Midoriya gave him a get-real look that Bakugo totally understood.

"Fine. Just be the pining prince," Bakugo said a shrug. "Oh, and one piece of advice from Katsuki Bakugo the chick magnet: don't let Ochaco see you around that Toga girl like at the soccer tryouts. Yeah, I saw that little scene. Way to go, Deku."

Midoriya groaned. "Don't even remind me."

"If you don't grow a spine, Ochaco and I will ride off into the sunset while Toga drags you to the altar."

Midoriya pictured that scene and regretted it at once.

"I'm sure you'll work somethin' out," Bakugo said, clearly getting tired of this discussion. "Let's ride. You need to clear that head of yours."

Midoriya sighed. "Right. Let's get going. Maybe I'll think of something on the ride over there."

On the ride to Ghosty Bus Stop, Midoriya didn't have any brilliant insights about Ochaco... but he got a sly smile on his face as another idea came to him. He could at least help out others in need, and heck, it might impress Ochaco!

"Hey, today's the 18th, right?" Midoriya panted as he cycled along.

"Yeah," Denki said.

"Just checking." Perfect. Midoriya made a mental note to tell Bakugo about this brand new plan later...

*o*o*o*o*

 **Guest:** I'm glad you liked _The Perfect Dream Date_ , but I'm done with _Bleach_ fanfiction for now, and definitely done with my Ichigo/Candice trilogy. Sorry!


	4. Chapter 4

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 4: Dress to Impress (for a change)**

Midoriya was expecting another routine homeroom for class 1-A on Monday, but once again, his wily classmates had a little surprise waiting in the wings. Midoriya barely parked his rear in his seat when Momo Yaoyorozu, of all people, sprang to her feet and clapped her hands together.

"Your attention please, everyone," she said, her expression radiant. She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "This Friday is the 23rd, and it's my 16th birthday! And so..." She reached into her school bag and drew a whole stack of envelopes. "You are all cordially invited to the Yaoyoruozu estate for my party. I hope to see all my good friends there."

Midoriya didn't expect Momo to hand out fancy invitations like these (they even had wax seals!) but he knew darn well that Momo's birthday was this Friday, and boy did he have plans. Perfect.

"What the heck?" Eijiro Kirishima blurted out when he read his handwritten invite. "This says 'formal wear required'? _What_?"

"Of course," Momo said primly, striking some snobby rich girl pose (it probably came naturally to her). "This is a dignified event, Eijiro. I do hope you look your best."

"Uh..." Eijiro glanced around nervously. "My K-pop T-shirts don't count as formal, do they?"

"Doubt it," Jiro said snidely.

"Hey, it's not like you're lady fancypants," Denki teased her, and Jiro flinched, going red in the face.

Midoriya stayed quiet as his classmates argued about the merits of "fancy on the inside" vs "expensive tailored outfits", instead looking over the details of Momo's handwritten invite (her calligraphy was spotless). He had that not-a-valet outfit, but what if he tried something even better? Meanwhile, Bakugo's idea of formal wear was using the proper amount of laundry detergent, while Denki often didn't even reach that high bar. Mina might have something for herself, but...

Midoriya gave Ochaco a warm smile. "This is gonna be fun, isn't it?"

"Oh, I can't wait," Ochaco said eagerly. "I have just the right outfit. I wore it to my aunt's wedding last June."

"Nice."

"What about you? Will I see you in coattails?"

Midoriya went pink. "Uh..."

Ochaco returned his smile. "Is someone going clothes shopping later today?"

That wasn't far from the plan, and Midoriya tried to hide his embarrassment. "I'll be fine," he said vaguely. "Just make sure that your present to Momo is sentimental and personal and all that. Her quirk is Creation, so she can make everyday things for her own use. She even makes Bed, Bath, and Beyond style stuff for herself recently. Tsuyu found that out last month when she got Momo a gift basket of shower stuff."

Ochaco looked impressed. "That's a wonderful quirk."

"That's the general consensus." Midoriya, meanwhile, was working to keep his plan together in his mind. If he didn't do this just right...

"Settle down, class," Aizawa said peevishly when the public debate reached a certain volume. "I need a quick nap."

Surprise, surprise. As soon as Aizawa settled down into his usual yellow sleeping bag like a snoring banana, the argument resumed in paper note form, but Midoriya wasn't looking for a debate. Instead, he wrote a note and tossed it to Iida, who read it and gave Midoriya a nod.

Perfect.

*o*o*o*o*

"I'm flattered, Midoriya, Bakugo, Mina, Denki," Iida said as the five of them walked together across the school's front front early that evening. "To think I'm the lifestyle coach of the class? You shouldn't have." He tried to look bashful as he adjusted his glasses.

"You're the class representative, Iida," Mina said, patting his back. "Aren't you like, super fancy and proper all the time?"

"Well, kind of?" Iida looked unsure of himself.

"We just don't wanna be the village idiots at Momo's party," Denki admitted.

"You'll be fine," Iida said kindly.

"Naw. We're the ruffians. Didn't you ever notice?" Bakugo said. "Give us a shot here, class rep."

Midoriya knew the real reason why Bakugo cared so much, and he was almost moved to tears from sheer gratitude.

Iida puffed out his chest. "Very well. Ladies and gentlemen, as your class representative, I, Tenya Iida, shall render assistance however possible! Please follow me!" He marched off in a new direction, toward the nearest shopping square further in town.

Mina stifled a giggle behind her hand. "He's hilarious."

She thought it was less funny when Iida's personal tailor got in everyone's faces about their wardrobes.

"I am Best Jeanist, fashion expert," the blond man said once the five students walked into his shop. He wore a blue denim outfit that came all the way up to his nose, but even with just his eyes and forehead visible, he gave everyone a hardcore glare that sent shivers down their spines. He whipped out several rolls of expensive fabric and a few combs. "With these fingers of mine, I craft the finest apparel in all of Japan and beyond, and I shall not suffer ruffians who think clothes are some cheap way of protecting their modesty."

Bakugo winced. He liked to call his friends ruffians, but to hear it like this...!

Was "ruffian" an insult now?!

"Everyone, I owe so much to Best Jeanist," Iida said fondly, spreading his arms wide. "My wardrobe is fit for the prime minister! All my outfits are like a second skin."

"Bet your wallet is worn to a nub," Denki muttered.

"What was that, kid?" Best Jeanist put his fists on his hips as he leered right in Denki's face. "Do you think I'm unfair to my customers?"

"Uh, um..." Denki winced under the pressure of Best Jeanist's glare.

"Hey, leave him alone," Mina demanded. "It was just a joke."

Best Jeanist withdrew. "You kids won't think it's a joke when I'm done with you. Let me get my tape measure. I need to see what I'm working with."

Midoriya was already getting second thoughts, but the walls of this shop seemed to be closing around him as Best Jeanist stepped forward with a rolled up tape measure. Iida gave him an encouraging thumbs-up, so Midoriya decided to bear with it.

Barely. Best Jeanist forced everyone into weird postures as he measured everything he possibly could, and Midoriya thought he saw Bakugo's Explosion sparking on his palms. If Bakugo set all these expensive clothes and fabrics on fire...!

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Iida said when Best Jeanist finished measuring. "He's giving you his precious time to help you."

"Sure," Denki said, grimacing as he rubbed his sore back. Best Jeanist had made him bend way over backwards to measure his spine's arch for some reason. Midoriya dearly hoped that this tailor was a genius as well as mad.

"You. You're first," Best Jeanist said, pointing at Bakugo.

Bakugo shoved his hands into his pockets and shuffled forward. "Fine, whatever..."

And five minutes later...

"Whoa! Bakugo! You're looking good!" Mina cried when her classmate re-emerged from the fitting room with Best Jeanist.

"I... guess?" Bakugo shrugged. "All fancy crap like this looks the same to me -"

"My tailor shop does not work with _crap_ ," Best Jeanist snapped. "Mind your tone, boy."

"Mind yours!" Bakugo roared back.

Midoriya and Iida shared a what-did-we-expect look as Bakugo and Best Jeanist went back and forth. Still, Mina was right; Bakugo _did_ look good, dressed to the nines with a dark red button up shirt, black pants and jacket, polished shoes, and a new gold wristwatch. Wait, gold?! So expensive!

"Damn, Bakugo, you could land any girl you wanted," Denki said with two thumbs up. "I'm jealous."

"Not for long," Best Jeanist said. "You next, doofus."

"Uh... what?"

Bakugo sulked in the corner (in style) while Best Jeanist worked his magic, and Denki returned in a light blue, long sleeved button up shirt with gray pants and shoes, and a silver-colored silk vest (and it had silver buttons).

Denki looked bashful, hands on his pockets. "So, uh... how do I look?"

"Ooooooh! You look amazing, Denki! This is so cool!" Mina squealed, hopping up and down. "I can't believe it!"

Midoriya faked a coughing fit to his his wide grin. Exactly as planned! He definitely saw a look of longing in Mina's eyes just now, if her hopping didn't give it away.

"The girl's next," Best Jeanist said, motioning for her to follow. "I'll have a female assistant help you."

"Yes! It's my turn!" Mina pumped a fist in the air as she followed the tailor to the changing room.

"See? Best tailor in town," Iida said, arms folded smugly.

"Biggest jerk in town," Bakugo muttered hotly in the corner.

"Coolest guy in town," Denki said, his head in the clouds.

Denki snapped to attention once Mina returned, and the girl was all smiles as she twirled in place, her arms out. "Check me out!" she exclaimed.

She wore a dress whose top was black fabric with an off-the-shoulder neckline, showing off a bit of her shoulders and collarbone, and the skirt was an all-over floral print with a self-tie belt made of the same fabric. On her feet she wore shiny black pumps, and she had a gold bracelet on her left wrist.

Denki went bright pink as he clapped. "Woo hoo! You look awesome, Mina! I changed my mind... this place is great! Totally worth the money!"

"I'm glad you came around," Best Jeanist said casually. "Now, the last kid..."

Midoriya was whisked to the back room, and he re-emerged wearing a black suit jacket, pants, and shoes like Bakugo, but with a green shirt and a silver watch. Denki gave him a golf clap while Mina cheered. "You guys are all so handsome! This is the best day ever!"

"Except that day you set a record riding your bike off a ramp," Bakugo said, finally rejoining the group. "Remember that?"

"Oh, yeah," Mina said. "Okay, it's a tie."

Iida looked suspicious. "You what?"

Denki grinned widely. "We found this abandoned Toyota at the edge of town, so leaned this huge wooden plank against it like a ramp and competed to see who could catch the most air. Mina went the highest, so she's the stunt queen in our group."

"Without quirks, that is," Bakugo reminded him. "With them, _I'm_ the king."

"Like that time you went off a ramp and ended up in a tree," Midoriya reminded him. "I told you you were using too much power."

"And I told you I'd fly right over that school bus, and I did," Bakugo retorted. "So I consider it a win."

Iida sighed and glanced at Best Jeanist. "At least they _look_ formal."

Best Jeanist hung his head. "Some clients..."

Then it came time to pay up. Midoriya was feeling pretty good about how much of his allowance he had saved up, but Best Jeanist shot an arrow straight through his wallet when he presented the bill.

"I won't pay this off 'till I'm Mr. Aizawa's age!" Midoriya cried. He definitely felt panic setting in. DEFCON 1! Evacuate immediately!

"I won't pay this crap off 'till my grandkids are old!" Bakugo growled. "What the hell!"

"Language!" Best Jeanist snapped. "Or should I restrain you with my quirk?"

Bakugo backed off but looked no less upset.

"Look, you all can work it off on the weekends," Iida offered. "It's a fair deal."

Midoriya's ears perked up. "Iida, by any chance... have _you_ taken that offer a few times?"

Iida went red and looked away. "Let's say that I was lying about volunteering at an animal shelter every Sunday."

Well, it wasn't the worst idea. Midoriya, Bakugo, Denki, and Mina all agreed to work off their bills after school and on Sundays, and once they got their nice outfits bagged safely, they changed back into their school uniforms and headed out.

"Well, what a productive day," Iida said happily, adjusting his glasses again. "I feel great."

"Stuff it! I gotta be that jerk's butler for years to pay this off!" Bakugo roared. "I'll never have free time again!"

"You asked the class rep for his help, and you got it," Iida said loftily. "See you all tomorrow." He took a right and walked off, leaving the four friends to go home without him.

Bakugo held up his bagged outfit with a miserable look. "Since when did fabric and buttons cost so much? Damn!"

"Don't forget the watch," Midoriya said with a bracing smile. "That was like 30% of the cost."

Bakugo froze. "What!" he erupted. "I didn't even want it! I could have paid less for this! Then I'd spend less time time being that jerk's butler!"

Mina patted his back. "It's okay. At least you look like a tycoon."

"We all do," Denki said fondly, caressing his outfit in its bag. "I'll never get turned down for a date wearing this sucker!"

 _That's the idea, Denki,_ Midoriya thought, fighting back a smug grin.

"Okay, I have homework to catch up on," Midoriya said, deciding to bail out before he gave anything away. "I'll see you tomorrow, too."

"Wait! The history homework we got was really hard!" Mina cried as Midoriya walked off. "Can't you help us a little?"

"Ask Denki," Midoriya said over his shoulder. "You guys get along so well..."

He didn't look away until he was sure that Denki and Mina gave each other appreciative looks.

"Fair point," Denki said. "See ya."

"Have a good night, kids..."

"What?"

"Nothing."

*o*o*o*o*

That evening, Midoriya was just finishing his geometry homework when his cell phone rang. He picked it up from his desk and narrowed his eyes at the caller ID on the screen. This day wouldn't end, would it?

"Hey, Himiko," Midoriya said wearily when he picked up. He'd given her number when they first met to be polite, but sometimes Toga called at the weirdest times.

"Hi, Deku darling," Toga said bashfully. "H-how are you?"

"I'm fine. Just finished up some geometry homework."

"Oooooh, okay," Toga said. "Um... Deku..."

"What?"

"I... I heard that Momo is having a birthday party this Friday," Toga said timidly. "She invited a few people from classes 1-B and 1-C, too. I didn't get one, but I heard someone say that Momo will let a few guests bring a plus one. I think."

Midoriya blinked. "Really? She didn't say that in homeroom." What was Toga up to this time?

"Hey... Izuku..." Toga said after a few seconds of awkward silence. "C-could you bring me as your guest to the party? It would really mean a lot! And Momo's so beautiful and smart and cool. I like her."

"I dunno," Midoriya hedged. "Maybe I should check with Momo first."

"No, she said it's okay," Toga said hastily. "Deku, I'd really like to be your date."

"Well..." Midoriya definitely wanted to say no; Ochaco sure as heck was going to that party, and he needed to impress her! But just as he opened his mouth to say no, he heard his mom chuckling in the living room at a sitcom, and he wondered what she would say if her son turned down a girl who asked him out so politely.

Plus... Toga's voice had a vulnerable tone he hadn't heard before, even in those times when she pretended to be heartbroken.

 _Here goes nothing._

"Okay. Himoko Toga, will you be my plus one to Momo's party?"

"Yeah! Thank you, Deku! I promise I'll dress really nice! This will be so fun!"

Didn't take long for the old Toga to come back, did it?

"Yeah," Midoriya agreed. "But we're going as platonic friends, okay? Just friends!"

"Whatever you say, Deku," Toga said in her usual singsong, teasing voice. "I'll see you Friday! Come by my house and pick me up, okay? I'll be on the porch."

"All right. I'll text you when I'm on my way," Deku said, praying that he wasn't making the mistake of the century. The _Hindenburg, Titanic_ , and Chernobyl combined couldn't compare if he did this wrong. "Until then."

"Yeah! And try out for the soccer team again. I'll help you!"

"Let's put a pin in that for now."

"Whatever you say, Deku," she said again, and in the exact same way.

 _No one can tell this girl a solid "no,"_ Deku lamented. "Have a good night."

"Good night, Deku darling!" Toga finally hung up.

It was now or never. Midoriya tried to look casual as he walked into the living room. "Hey, mom?"

Inko muted the TV and looked up. "What is it, honey?"

"I... I'll be at a classmate's birthday party this Friday evening," Midoriya said. "I'll be picking up my plus one at her house. I promise I'll won't stay out too late."

Inko beamed. "That sounds wonderful. Who's your date?"

"My plus one!" Midoriya hastily corrected her. "Just a... platonic friend, that's all."

Inko's smile widened. "It's that Uraraka girl next door, isn't it?"

Midoriya didn't have the vocal cords necessary to make the hysterical screaming noise that erupted in his head. Instead, he managed to choke out that he was taking "some other girl" to the party, and he retreated to his bedroom and lay on the bed, face right into the pillow.

 _Move over, Chernobyl,_ he thought.


	5. Chapter 5

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 5: No Party Like a Yaoyorozu Party (well this got awkward fast)**

Midoriya checked his watch again as he walked around the corner in his neighborhood toward the Toga household. It was 6:49, so he had just enough time to pick up his plus one and escort her to the Yaoyorozu house for the big sweet 16 party. The sun was just starting to set, and that, with Midoriya's pretty awesome outfit, made it look like he was on his way to a classical music concert.

Instead...

"Deku darling! Over here!" Himiko Toga hopped up and down and waved her arms once Midoriya turned the corner and walked up the worn-out front steps to the small Toga home.

"I see you," Midoriya said with a bracing smile. "You look nice, Toga." His date wore a red, knee-length dress with double strap shoulders and a high neckline, and simple black flats and a fake gold necklace.

"What? I'm Himiko to you! I'm your date, remember?" Toga made a pouty face, hands on her hips.

"My plus one to the party," Midoriya reminded her (not like she would listen). "So, uh... are you ready to go?"

Himiko hopped up and down twice more before she linked her left arm with Midoriya's right. "Yeah! And you look real nice, darling! Where'd you get those fancy clothes?" She blushed bright pink as she took in Midoriya's high-roller outfit.

"This tailor shop Iida likes," Midoriya said, feeling a chill of dread as he pictured a stern Best Jeanist with papers of expensive bills behind him and the character for "DEBT" written in flaming red ink on each of them.

Dammit, Iida...!

"Ooooooh, that sounds fun," Toga said as the two of them headed out for the Yaoyorozu home.

"S-sure. Hey, shouldn't I meet your parents first?" Midoriya asked, looking over his shoulder at the Toga home. "I mean, I'm bringing their daughter to a party..."

Toga giggled and held him tighter. "N-no thanks, my mom's asleep. And my dad moved out awhile back. All you need is me." She made a sly face as she traced a finger along Midoriya's jaw.

If it wasn't one thing, it was another...

"Midoriya! Dude! You sure dressed up," Kirishima said in awe when Midoriya and his date (no, his plus one!) were welcomed into the Yaoyorozu home right on time at 7:00. Kirishima looked nice too, but already, Midoriya could feel the effects of Best Jeanist's skills at work. The other boys from the class had dressed up like Momo wanted, but whoa, Midoriya, Denki, and Bakugo were the highlights of the group! And among the girls, Tsuyu and Toru were in awe at Mina's new attire.

"Oooooh, you look so pretty, Mina!" Toru exclaimed. She wore an eggshell white outfit with cap sleeves and leather sandals, and a silver bangle on her right wrist. As usual, Toru simply looked like floating clothing, but hey, it _did_ look nice.

"Thanks, Toru." Mina did a twirl, and probably not the first for the evening. "You should go to a tailor, too, like I did! They offer deals there!"

She caught Midoriya's eye and gave him a knowing wink that Midoriya whimsically returned. Hey, if the four of them had huge debts to pay to Best Jeanist, why not get a few more in on the fun?

"What's up, Deku," Bakugo said, giving Midoriya a cuff on the shoulder. "I mean, Deku and Himiko?" He cracked a teasing grin that Denki shared.

"Damn, Izuku, you get all the girls," Denki said, hands in his pants pockets. "You tryin' to make me look bad?"

Midoriya glance d at Mina and thought _not for long..._

Toga giggled. "I know. He walked all the way to my house to pick me up like a gentleman. That's just like my Deku darling." She kissed him on the cheek.

Midoriya felt a jolt as Toga's warm lips touched his skin and he didn't know whether to feel vaguely proud, or mortified as most of class 1-A, and some of 1-B and 1-C, all took in the scene. And that included Ochaco! There she was, chatting up Kyoka Jiro and Itsuka Kendo near the fireplace. She caught Midoriya's eye and made a well-aren't-you-lucky face.

Lucky...?!

"I ain't ever seen this many decorations for a party," Sero commented, taking in the many balloons (silver and pink), streamers, the pile of gifts on a nearby table, and the charming ambient music, plus the huge multi-layer cake on a bigger table that was surrounded with plastic wine glasses, lit candles, and a bunch of snacks and drinks.

Jiro snorted. "Dummy. You're at a sweet 16 party! This is how it works."

"She's right," Ochaco added. "I went to a sweet 16 party for a classmates at my old high school, and it was just like this. Minus the grand piano, the grandfather clock, the samurai armor in the corner... okay, this girl is seriously rich..."

"She's got everything where it counts, if you know what I mean," Mineta added slyly, until Jiro gently slapped him away with an earphone jack.

"Where is she, anyway?" Shoto wondered. Like Midoriya's group, he was dressed really sharply, but probably didn't get reeled in by a crafty tailor.

"I think she's waiting for everyone to get here, ribbit," Tsuyu commented, a finger on her chin as she looked around. "Is Momo going to make a grand entrance?"

"Naw, she ain't that showy," Kirishima said. "Maybe she's doing her hair or whatever. Girl things."

Jiro rolled her eyes while Ochaco giggled.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, everyone," a familiar girl's voice said, and everyone looked over at the huge living room's east entrance as the sweet 16 girl herself stepped in, decked out in a silver, ankle-length ball gown-ish outfit with blue accents and sapphire earrings and ring (whoa, Ochaco was right on point). She smiled and gently clapped her hands together. "Thank you all so much for joining me this evening! My parents are out preparing my special birthday dinner for later, but for now, it's just us! Let's have a good time."

Midoriya vaguely wondered if Momo realized how much she was actually flaunting her great life when she usually tried to act humble. But to heck with it, there was cake! Don't annoy the cake giver!

"Heck yeah!" Denki rushed to the center of the room and motioned for everyone together. "Get into position, guys."

"What the hell for?" Bakugo said.

"For the birthday song chorus. Duh," Denki said, making a sour face. "I'm guessing your birthday parties involve noogies and crying, Katsuki."

"That was just one time!" Bakugo snapped.

"And it sure hurt, man!"

"I said I was sorry!"

"Not enough!"

Mina hid a giggle behind her hands. "Come on, guys, let's do it. It's the birthday song!"

"Pass," Jiro muttered, and Shoji and Fumikage nodded in agreement. Shoto looked like he'd rather retreat into the next room and sulk (hey, maybe he did).

"But..." Denki looked pretty embarrassed by now, and Momo was watching him with an appraising look.

"A duet, then," Midoriya declared. "Come on, Denki and Mina! Make some music!"

Denki brightened. "Why didn't I think of that?"

So, he and Mina did an off-tune and loud, but well-meaning duet that ended in self-conscious giggles by the end, and Momo clapped happily while a few others did a golf clap to not look like jerks (Shoto's hands were securely in his pockets).

"Thank you so much!" Momo said brightly. "It means a lot, Denki, Mina."

"Do a high five!" Midoriya encouraged them, so Mina giggled as she and Denki did a high-five to congratulate each other.

"We should do something too, darling," Toga muttered eagerly into Midoriya's ear. "What if -"

"Would anyone like cake?" Momo offered, stepping toward the three-tier juggernaut of icing and sugar on the table. It even had fake flowers!

Everyone rushed over to the table as Momo stared serving. "That's a good one," Rikido Sato commented, standing near the crowd's back.

"Huh?" Sero blurted.

"I know my pastries," Sato said with a bashful smile. "I mean, it fuels my quirk. I know a great cake from a bad one, and this looks like a real treat."

"Tastes like one, too," Denki said through a mouthful of cake (he was served first).

"Hey! The birthday girl goes first!" Jiro cried. "What are you thinking?"

"That I'd better get invited to another sweet 16 party by the time I finish this slice," Denki said, and Mina doubled over in laughter, both hands held over her mouth.

The party was just as Midoriya imagined for the next twenty minutes; Toga tried to feed him cake (he reluctantly allowed one bite), and Momo started on the presents. She held up a wrapped gift from Tsuyu, and it was flat and kind of wide. She unwrapped it to reveal... what looked like a colorful, lumpy piece of clay in a frame. What?

"I call it rain art. Ribbit," Tsuyu explained when everyone voiced their utter (and not unjustified) confusion. "I use very soft clays and silt as a canvas in a solid wood frame, and apply different paints to it, and let it get rained on. The force of the raindrops mixes the colors and create a unique texture. It's an imprint of an afternoon's rain with the colors to show it."

There was a second of silence.

"That's... actually kind of cool," Kirishima admitted.

"Tsuyu! Thank you so much!" Momo wrapped the smaller girl in a tight hug and actually nuzzled her cheek for a second. "That's the most thoughtful and creative thing anyone's ever given me."

"I'm glad you liked it. Ribbit."

As Momo worked her way through the pile of gifts, Ochaco joined up with Midoriya and Bakugo. "These are some interesting gifts," she commented. "Most of the girls I know like perfume, cute cell phone cases, and earrings."

Bakugo grunted in amusement. "Don't forget, her quirk is Creation, and her family is loaded. She takes stuff like that for granted."

"She likes sentimental and personal stuff," Midoriya added. "Momo wants wealth of the heart. I mean, that's how she puts it, anyway."

"Oooooh, that's so smart," Ochaco said fondly. "I think more people could stand to think that way."

"And this one is from Fumikage," Momo said as she unwrapped another gift, and she revealed a dream catcher decorated with raven feathers.

"Bird feathers? Isn't that kind of like cannibalism?" Mineta said snidely until Jiro whacked him again with an earphone jack.

"I only used feathers I picked up off the ground, I swear," Fumikage said hastily.

Momo ran her fingers delicately along the dream catcher. "Did you make this yourself?"

"Yeah."

Momo beamed. "I love it! Thank you so much!"

"See? Personal gifts," Midoriya muttered in Ochaco's ear, and she nodded.

Momo worked her way through the pile, thanking everyone for the gifts, but she hesitated when she picked up Mineta's, a cube wrapped in pink paper and topped with a silver bow.

"Open it," Mineta urged her.

Momo scowled. "Please tell me that this isn't a prank gift. Did you make a prank gift?"

"Who, me? I'd never..."

"Jiro, check it out." Momo handed the ultra-suspicious gift to Kyoka Jiro, who stuck an earphone jack into it and tapped on the box to make sound waves inside. Jiro narrowed her eyes in concentration, and then she looked shocked.

"I knew it! It's something totally erotic!" Kirishima cried.

Jiro still looked stunned as she handed the gift back to the birthday girl. "It's... uh..."

Momo braced herself as though jumping off a diving board and opened the present.

Inside was a... a plastic, 3-D sculpt of Momo on a pedestal?

"It's you!" Mineta said happily. "Like it? I went to this 3-D printer lab and had it made. It cost a ton of money!"

Momo turned the little statue over in her hands. "It's... well... thank you, Mineta."

Then Momo perked up. "Hey, does this statue have a twin sister residing in your bedroom?"

"Uh... you see..."

"Jiro!"

Mineta narrowly dodged the third earphone jack attack and instead bolted for the door, cackling the whole way.

Momo sighed as Mineta fled the premises. "Now I feel weird keeping this one..."

Still, she reached for the pile of gifts and as a little happier with the rest. She got a little booklet of home baking recipes from Sato ("they're my grand-mom's own inventions"), a collection of nature sketches from Koji Koda (who nodded bashfully when Momo thanked him), and a stunning geode with stunning, sparkling blue crystals in it from Yuga Aoyama.

"How come you gave her a rock?" Jiro asked bluntly as Momo admired the geode.

Aoyama winked. " _Mais non_. It's a geode."

"But why that?"

"The crystals' elegant color reminds me of her eyes." Aoyama tried to look high and mighty for his cleverness.

Tsuyu blinked. "Wait a minute. Momo's eyes aren't blue. Ribbit."

"Really? I thought they were," Aoyama said in a confused tone that may have been genuine.

"At least it's not all about him," Shoto muttered.

Midoriya's gift was last, a hand-made tea mug with the characters for "love" and "hope" painted on the sides, opposite each other.

"Ooooooh. Thank you, Izuku," Momo said. "And this is just in time. My father bought a new rare tea from Tibet that I wanted to try. I'll be sure to pour it in this! And what lovely characters!"

"I tried to paint them all fancy-like," Midoriya explained, feeling like an idiot as he went.

Momo was still happy, though, and now that the gifts were done, she casually asked if anyone wanted to play a party game of their choosing. Bad idea.

" _Super Mario Brothers_!" Kirishima cried.

"No one here has a game console, you dope," Jiro told him.

"Let's do each other's nails!" Toru cried.

"But what will the boys do?" Tsuyu asked.

"Oh! Hey! Basketball at the court down the street!" Sero offered, raising a hand. "Who wants to be on my team?"

Jiro ran a hand along her fancy gown. "Do I _really_ have to explain why that's a stupid idea?"

"I wouldn't mind a little exercise. Ribbit," Tsuyu put in.

"Well, I say we look over some of my newest babies. Just look at these prototypes!" Mei Hatsume said eagerly, pulling out some bicycle parts from her purse. "Who wants to buy one?"

"WE'RE NOT AT YOUR SHOP!" everyone told her in unison.

"I can't afford any more expensive babies, anyway," Denki groaned. Mina patted him on the back.

Mezo Shoji, meanwhile, was looking something up on his phone, and Ochaco peeked at the screen. "Whatcha doing?" she asked.

Shoji flinched. "L-looking up party games."

"That's so thoughtful," Ochaco said happily.

"Because everyone here is insane," Shoto muttered.

"I... I haven't been to a party before," Shoji admitted. "I just wanted to do this right."

Ochaco made a sympathetic noise. "You've never been to a party? But what about your own birthdays?"

Shoji shrugged. "My parents taught me frugal living for success. We didn't need to spend our money on parties. I would review my blessings and other things I was grateful for in my life on each birthday."

"Talk about total opposites," Bakugo commented, looking around at the flamboyant decorations.

Shoji squinted at his screen. "Got it. Does anyone want to play 'pin the tail on the donkey'?"

"We're not five," Jiro said. "Come on, what else you got?"

"Uh... do we have a pinata here?"

Momo winced. "Certainly not. Too messy."

Shoji rubbed his chin. "What about a drinking game?"

There were cries of shock. "We're too young, dude!" Kirishima said. "Does your dad sneak you a beer from the fridge every night when your mom's not looking?"

Shoji blinked. "Wait... a drinking game _has_ to involve booze?"

"Hey, you don't drink herbal tea when you play those," Bakugo said, elbowing the much taller Shoji. "Grow up, dude."

Shoji grunted. "Sorry, guys. I don't really play games. I'm not sure which is right."

"May I?" Ochaco borrowed Shoji's smart phone and looked at the screen. Then she smiled and handed it back. "You know what? Let's start with the classics and invent our own games later!"

"Yeah!" Mina cried, pumping a fist. "I love those games!"

" _Super Mario Brothers_ is a game..." Kirishima said sadly as he hung his head. No one listened.

"Very well, everyone! I declare that we start with Truth or Dare," Momo said, stepping forward and clapping her hands together again. "That sounds like a pretty innocent game. Right? I've never actually played it..."

Everyone gave each other crafty and cunning looks. This could get wild really fast!

"Hear that, Deku darling?" Toga ran her hand along Midoriya's shoulders. "Now I'll know everything that's in your heart! And if I get to dare you to do something..." She made a hungry smile and toyed with her lower lip.

Midoriya swallowed, fully aware that Ochaco could hear this. Bringing Toga here... damn it was risky! Why'd have to be such a doormat and invite her when she asked? If he didn't navigate these choppy waters just right, he would ruin everything!

If things weren't going that way already, that is...

*o*o*o*o*

 **Guest:** Izuku won't get One for All, since this story is about the friendships and romance instead (and general high school hijinks), so Izuku doesn't need One For All. The other characters hardly use their own quirks anyway, and there won't be any real action scenes.


	6. Chapter 6

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 6: It's All About How You Play the Game (unfortunately...)**

There was no stopping Ochaco's momentum once she got everyone to agree to Truth or Dare, and already, everyone was gathering in a huge circle on the living room's plush carpet to play. Momo hesitated to join, so Midoriya got her attention and whispered something into her ear.

Momo finally looked happy about the prospects of playing the game. "Why, that's a lovely idea, Izuku," she said. "I'll help you."

"Thanks, Momo." Midoriya smoothed his suit's vest and joined everyone in the huge circle.

"Come on, Momo! It's time to play!" Mina cheered, raising a fist as she settled into a kneeling position with everyone else.

"Plus, Mineta isn't here," Ojiro added. "I mean, it can't be _that_ crazy if he's not making trouble."

"Play! Play! Play! Play!" everyone started chanting until Momo bowed to peer pressure and took the last empty spot.

"Okay, let's have a dignified and polite game," she said sternly. "We have rules in this house."

"The only rule," Bakugo said as he rubbed his hands, "is that there _are_ no rules!"

"Heck yeah!" Toru added.

Momo sighed. "That phrase contradicts itself."

"Whatever. It's time play! Me first!" Mina cried, waving a hand.

"But this was my idea!" Ochaco shot back.

"Oh, but I'm the master at this game," Mina said with a wink, holding up a finger. "Watch me, Ochaco."

"That's unfair -"

"Ochaco Uraraka!" Mina declared, pointing across the circle at the other girl. "Truth or dare?!"

Ochaco hung her head, hands held in loose fists on her lap. "Truth, I guess."

"Starting slow, are we?" Mina said slyly. "Okay... have you been in Izuku's room yet?"

Midoriya jolted in shock, and he wasn't the only one. All the other boys immediately turned to look at him with faces ranging from alarm to excitement (except Fumikage. That guy was impossible to read).

Ochaco squirmed. "That's not fair!"

"Answer! Answer!" Toru exclaimed, her wrist bangle waving in the air. "You'd better not lie!"

Ochaco went pink as she avoided Midoriya's eyes. "Y-yeah, I have."

"I knew it!" Mina cheered.

Even Jiro gave Ochaco a sly look. "Oh, you move fast, new girl," she said snidely.

Ochaco went redder. "It was a friendly visit! I swear!"

 _She sure is quick to explain that,_ Midoriya thought with dismay.

Mina spoke over the other girls giggling at Ochaco. "Very good, new girl! Now it's your turn."

"Uh... um..." Ochaco braced herself as she scanned her classmates and friends.

Momo cleared he throat. "Perhaps you could return the favor."

Ochaco looked convinced, and she pointed right back at Mina. "Mina Ashido! Truth or dare?"

"Truth. Try me," Mina said smugly.

"Have you been in Denki's bedroom?"

Now all the gazes quickly turned to the acid girl, who also blushed and cowered where she sat. "H-hey..."

"Fun, isn't it?" Ochaco retorted.

Mina glanced at Denki, who was a few students to her left, and went even redder. "W-well, yeah. Lots of times."

There was a collective "Ooooooh!" of excitement that made Momo clap her hands over her ears.

"T-to study, you perverts!" Mina cried. "We're the dumbest in class 1-A! We gotta stick together!"

"It sure sounds like you are," Ochaco said with the same smug tone Mina had used. "Getting comfortable in there?"

"Hey! Just one question at a time!" Denki cried.

"Then try this," Mina told him, still red in the face. "T-truth or dare?"

Denki grinned. "Dare. Do your worst."

Momo cleared her throat again. "Why not test him and see where his heart lies?"

Mina always looked up to Momo (she wasn't the only one), and she looked encouraged at her classmate's words. "Okay, sure. Denki Kaminari, I dare you to... to go around the circle and kiss the one you love most!"

"Oh, someone had better dare you to do that," Toga muttered in Midoriya's ear as Denki covered his face out of embarrassment. "I'm counting on you, darling."

 _She's so blunt..._ Midoriya wondered where the heck Toga's "off" switch was and how much he'd dare to try and find it. He'd be looking all over her body... and she'd totally like that...

Midoriya held his face in horror. _Now she's in my head! My mom was right! There ARE girls like that out there!_

Denki was doing no better. "Wh-what the hell!" he cried, and he gave off a flustered zap that knocked off Iida's glasses. "Mina...!"

"Do it, Denki!" Mina cried breathlessly. "Get your butt up and try it."

"Okay, okay..." Denki narrowly avoided stepping on Iida's glasses as he walked around the circle (Iida put his glasses back on very indignantly), tapping his fingers together nervously as he considered each girl he passed. Tsuyu, Ochaco, Itsuka, Mei, Toru...

"Who's it gonna be?" Kirishima hollered. "Stick the landing, kiddo!"

"You're not my dad!" Denki snapped over his shoulder. But he was still hedging, and he nearly made it back to his pot...

He stopped in front of Mina and went even redder. "W-wait a minute," he protested, motioning wildly. "Can't I do a different dare -"

All the girls erupted. "She's the one!" Toru cheered, almost standing up in excitement. "Go, Denki, go!"

"B-but I don't -"

"Why else would you freak out?" Jiro teased him. "You're easy to read like usual, Denki."

"I-I -" Denki was still hesitating, so Mina got to her feet and made an awkward smile. Then she grabbed hold of his shirt collar, leaned in, and totally locked lips for all to see!

Now the girls _really_ cheered. "It's kinda cheating, but it counts!" Toru cried in victory. "Mi-na! Mi-na! Mi-na!"

"I always knew she was into him. Ribbit," Tsuyu said confidently. "I mean, what took her so long?"

"I heard that, frog girl!" Mina retorted.

Denki, meanwhile, had his post-electric, derpy face on as he gave the thumbs-up. Whoa, it worked for kissing, too?!

"Hey! Earth to Denki!" Bakugo hollered, hands cupped over his mouth. "It's your turn, dumbass!"

"Language!" Momo cried, but absolutely no one was listening as Denki shook off his derpy face. Mina, meanwhile, was sitting back down, a flustered but happily satisfied look on her face.

"Okay, my turn," Denki said, putting on a false thoughtful face as he scoped out the room of potential victims. "Gee, I don't know... BAKUGO!" He jabbed a finger at Bakugo as though accusing him of a mortal crime.

"Yeah? Whatcha want?" Bakugo teased with a nasty grin.

"You know what! Truth or dare, man?!"

"Dare me. You ain't squat."

"M-make out with Momo!"

There were indignant cries.

"A-absolutely never!" Momo erupted, waving her arms and going pink in the face. "Have you lost your mind, Kaminari?!"

"He'd burn her face off," Tsuyu commented as Mei and Itsuka (who were more than a little afraid) tried to talk Denki down.

Denki rolled his eyes. "Fine! Truth or dare, Bakugo?!"

"Truth."

"Okay... did you really write 'oh my fair maiden, how my heart burns for thee on a field of flowers of love' as a Valentine for Momo when we were in middle school?"

This time the girls broke out in hysterics as Bakugo went brick-red and steam issued from his ears. "What! How the hell did you know that?" he roared.

"So did you?" Denki pressed him.

Bakugo pounded the floor with both fists. "Fine! Yeah, I did! I had this kinda-sorta crush on her in middle school, but that's over with! Aaaaargh!"

Jiro pretended to comfort Momo but was trying hard not to laugh. "I'm so sorry, Yaoyorozu."

Momo looked mortified and flattered at the same time. "Why, I had no idea that was from you, Bakugo."

Ochaco looked incredulous. "You sent it _anonymously_?"

"One question only!" Bakugo barked. "It's finally my turn. Uh..."

Momo cleared her throat for the third time (and not because of phlegm, that was for sure). "Why not return the favor, Katsuki?"

Bakugo looked even more riled. "Why do you keep butting in, rich girl?! Damn!"

"Language!"

"Fine! This game sucks!" Bakugo huffed. "Denki, truth or dare?"

"Dare me. Because _you ain't squat_." Denki broke into a wide grin.

Bakugo looked like a feral wolf as he made a wider smile, hunched forward. "Ask out a girl."

The whole house's roof threatened to blow off as everyone erupted at _that_ one!

"Oh, he's so gonna screw it up," Sero said, barely holding back laughter.

"He probably doesn't have the nerve," Fumikage commented as everyone else kept laughing or giggling at the ultra-flustered Denki.

"I do too!" Denki cried. "I-I, uh..."

"You can do it, Denki," Midoriya chimed in. "I know you can."

"You honor me, Izuku," Denki said timidly, trying to avoid everyone's gaze. "Maybe a little too much."

"Kacchan's trying to get to you," Midoriya added, which was certainly true. "Be better than him, and be honest with yourself. This could be a great opportunity."

"Well thanks, Steve Harvey," Denki snapped. "You make it sound so easy."

"Yeah, 'cause it is." Midoriya gave him the usual thumbs-up, and people started chanting his name like he was a star batter going up to plate at the bottom of the ninth inning.

"Uh... um..." Denki cowered for a few more seconds, but then, something clicked in his (rather small) mind. He whirled around, stood before Mina, and bowed deeply. "M-Mina, will you go out with me?!"

Mina went red again but broke into a wide smile. "Yeah! I will!" She held her hands together under her chin.

Everyone cheered. "I knew he'd have the guts eventually," Tsuyu commented.

"What are you, psychic?" Sero asked incredulously. "I don't know how you magically know these things."

"That's why you're still single, Sero," Tsuyu added.

"What was that?!"

"Oh, and one other thing," Denki added, and before Mina got a chance to ask what it was, he knelt, gently held her head in his hands, then returned that hot smooch from earlier.

"That's two things in one dare!" Mei Hatsume yelped. "He's disqualified!"

"Oh no he's not," Itsuka said with a wide grin. "I'm happy for that doofus."

"I heard that!" Denki roared over his shoulder.

Ochaco looked stunned, and she turned her incredulous look to Midoriya, who nodded the affirmative.

The plan was nearly complete!  
"Ooooh! Where are you taking her?" Toru butted in. "I know! The arcade!"

"Those games are germy," Mina said, sticking out her tongue. "And I'm the reigning champ at the Dance Dance Revolution game there anyway. Nothing left for me to do."

Toru pouted (at least, it seemed that way). "Show-off..." she muttered.

"M-Mina," Denki added, still red in the face. "I've liked you a long time, y'know, and I really liked having you over at my place to study -"

"And make out!" Toru interrupted.

"Butt out!" Denki roared again before converting back to his smooth-talker voice. "I really liked having you come over to study, Mina, and I was always sad to see you go. Uh, so... after this date..." He braced himself for the next confession. "After our date, will you be my girlfriend?"

Mina actually gasped. "Yeah! Totally!" She made a sly smile. "But only if you'll call yourself my boyfriend, Denki."

"Well, totally. Of course!" Denki made a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his head.

"What a party this turned out to be," Momo commented politely to herself, until Itsuka Kendo, who sat next to her, elbowed her.

"You want your turn, don't you?" she teased.

Momo nearly choked. "Wh-what! I didn't say anything about -"

"Come on, who is it? Shoto Todoroki? Cool but mysterious? Or the studly Iida, or the tough guy Bakugo?"

Bakugo's ears perked up. "Did someone say my name?"

"N-no!" Momo covered her face as she went pink. "I'm too busy studying to think about boys, Itsuka!" Then she lowered her hands with an accusatory look. "And you never asked me for truth or dare. It seems _you're_ the cheater now!"

"More truth or dare!" Kirishima declared. "Who's next?"

Denki cleared his throat. "Well -"

"Come on, Momo!" Toru added. "I bet you're into Iida. You're always hanging out with him after class, chatting him up -"

Iida bolted to his feet. "She consults me because she is class 1-A's vice president and I am the representative!" he barked, motioning with his hands in weird ways. "We are going over ways to make class 1-A even better, thank you very much!"

"I bet you're into her, too," Toru responded.

"She is a fine vice president, I can say that much," Iida said with a bit too much bravado.

"I always knew he was into her," Tsuyu commented.

Sero hung his head. "Is everyone pairing up except me?"

"Maybe. Ribbit."

Momo sprang to her feet, also motioning with her hands. "O-okay, everyone, I think that's enough fooling around for one day. Why don't we all get together to pose for a photograph to commemorate this wonderful evening -"

"No! More games!" Mina declared, thrusting a fist into the air. "Games! Games! Games!" More people joined her chant.

Momo looked cross. "Please, Mina. Don't get carried away just because a boy asked you out."

"This is your birthday _party_ , rich girl," Denki added, hands in his pockets as he tried to look cool. "Time to live it up!"

Momo hung her head just like Sero had done.

Midoriya felt way too smug to worry about getting embarrassed in the games that came next, which ranged from spin-the-bottle to a game Toru made up called "Who would do it?" He learned way too much about who would do what, by the way. He could live his life just fine without knowing that Kirishima would eat a whole bucket of earthworms for one million yen.

Somehow, Momo got everyone under control long enough for a group photo, and she managed to convert ther party into a polite evening of snack and chitchat, where Mina and Denki got the most attention due to their newfound "almost-relationship." Toru was dying to know what they would do on their first date (and what base would be reached!), and meanwhile Shoto was dying to know when he could leave the party without looking rude.

"They're so cute together," Ochaco commented happily to Bakugo and Midoriya, who hung out near the punch bowl. "Just look at them. I knew there was a little chemistry between them when I met them."

"Good eyes, new girl," Bakugo said casually, sipping his punch.

Midoriya smiled. "Hey, Ochaco, can you keep a secret?"

"Sure! What is it?"

Midoriya leaned a little closer. "That was a matchmaking game of mine. I asked Momo to help me get those two together, and we totally pulled it off."

Ochaco's eyes widened and she covered her mouth with her hands. "For real?"

"Yeah. They've been friends for so long. I think they deserve this chance to be _really_ happy together." Midoriya tried to look saintly as he took a sip from his own punch glass. Here came the plan's final step!

"You're a really good friend, Deku. You know that?" Ochaco said fondly.

Midoriya beamed even wider. "Thanks, Ochaco. Welcome to our class."

He prayed that Ochaco would try something, being so inspired by the new Denki/Mina thing going on, but Ochaco instead turned to Bakugo. "Come on, Kacchan. Isn't there some girl you're into?"

Bakugo nearly choked on his drink. "Wh-what the..."

Ochaco giggled. "It's okay. Like I told Deku, I can keep a secret."

"Ain't any girl I'm into," Bakugo said gruffly, taking another sip.

Ochaco leaned a little closer. "Oh, are you playing coy with me, Kacchan?"

Bakugo glanced at Midoriya before responding. "Dunno what you're talkin' about."

"You're so funny," Ochaco said with another giggle. She took his hand. "Come with me. I think that Mei Hatsume girl has another funny story to tell..."

"Uh..." Bakugo looked bewildered as Ochaco led him deeper into the party, where indeed Mei was sharing a story about... something or other. And at that very moment, just as Midoriya was left alone by the punch bowl, Himiko Toga tracked him down and gently ran her hands along his shoulders.

"You've been so quiet, darling," she cooed in his ears. "Cat got your tongue?" She leaned closer and started digging her fingernails into Midoriya's shoulders like a housecat.

Midoriya flushed. "I-I'm fine!"

"Mmmmmmm, so modest and polite." Toga kneaded Midoriya's shoulders under her fingers. "I like a gentleman, you know. Someone who can keep a bad girl in line..." She snapped her teeth with a wide smile, like a crocodile.

"Uh... sure?"

Toga sniffed the air and looked over at Mei's group. "Hey, something interesting's going on, darling."

 _She's like a bloodhound for trouble._ Midoriya craned his neck to look over Fumikage's shoulder and spotted the trouble right off the bat: Ochaco was over there, getting flirty with Bakugo for real! As in, toying with her hair and touching him! She was going all in!

"Here it comes," Toga said just a second before Ochaco raised her voice.

"Katsuki, will you go out with me?"

Several of the nearby students looked on in awe as Bakugo froze in place. Ochaco, meanwhile, looked super giggly and excited, eager for his answer. Mei, meanwhile, held her head in her hands, a look of anticipation on her face.

Bakugo blinked a few times and worked his jaw. "I-I... yeah, sure. Let's go out sometime."

Midoriya was pretty sure his jaw hit the floor and broke right through it.

"Oooooh! Yay!" Ochaco clapped her hands and bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. "I can't wait, Katsuki. You can show me around town some more."

"Y... yeah, sure." Bakugo looked like he wanted to catch Midoriya's eye, but he ultimately didn't. Instead, he awkwardly chatted up the town's local attractions while Midoriya watched in frozen, stunned horror. He only vaguely registered Toga wrapping her arms around him.

"Mmmmmm. Everyone's getting together. This is the best party ever," she said. "Isn't it giving you any ideas, Deku darling? Any... _divine inspiration_ coming to mind?"

Midoriya didn't respond.

"Momo knows how to throw a heck of a party," Toga purred. "You don't want to go home alone after this, do you, darling?"

Midoriya blinked a few times, his chest feeling tight. "H-Himiko, I... I'll be right back. Bathroom."

"Oh, okay." Toga slowly withdrew her arms. "I'll be around, darling." She cracked another hungry, toothy smile.

Midoriya avoided everyone's gazes as he made his way through the crowd, and once he was sure Toga couldn't tell which way he had gone, he slipped out the front door and across the Yaoyorozu house's large front lawn, not stopping until he marched all the way home and through the front door.

Inko looked up from a magazine she was reading on the couch. "Oh, Izuku! You're back a bit early, honey."

"Tired." Midoriya was like a robot (and not in a good way) as he stormed into his room, shut the door, and flopped flat onto his bed and buried his head into his pillow. He thump a fist on the mattress.

 _Kacchan... you idiot!_


	7. Chapter 7

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 7: The Many Woes of Love (quit showing off your relationship! Gah!)**

Midoriya's master plan was to get Mina and Denki together, and while on paper that had been a slam dunk, there were some... bonuses. And that's putting it very generously.

"All I'm saying," Mina said loftily at lunch on Monday, holding up a finger for emphasis, "is that you ought to re-assess how you present yourself, Aoyama. Girls like a humbler guy who let their actions speak for themselves."

Normally, Yuga Aoyama had an unshakeable grin on his face, but now, even the sparkle-lover had a grimace on his prince-like face. "But... it's just who I am, Mina _cherie_. I can't stop sparkling just the way the sun can't stop shining."

Mina made an irritating tsk-tsk noise like a schoolteacher. "Think about how Shoto acts," she told him. "He's cool, he's quiet the quiet type, and most of all, he gets results. If you really like this girl, you have to drop the act and meet her halfway."

"But... but..."

Midoriya sat there quietly, his bite halfway to his mouth as he listened to the insufferable twosome dispense half-baked advice to anyone who would listen (and boy was that list of names shrinking fast). He normally sat with Mina, Denki, Bakugo, and sometimes Tsuyu, but today, Bakugo sat with Ochaco at a table on the other side of the room, and Aoyama had joined Midoriya's group, and the sparkle boy was fast regretting it.

It didn't help that Mina was sitting on her boyfriend's lap, turned at a 90 degree angle as she toyed with his hair and kissed his nose every few minutes. And no amount of booing from Jiro (who sat nearby) could get them to stop!

So insufferable! Was this how Dr. Frankenstein felt after he regretted his creation?

"I was telling Koji earlier today," Mina added, "that to get over his shyness, he has to leap right in and ask a girl out! That's what my Denki did."

"And it worked out great," Denki said smugly.

"Wait, you told him that?" Midoriya said, his eyes wide. "Mina, he's not gonna do that. He'll just get even more freaked out."

Denki shook his head. "Deku, Deku... you tried to get the new girl, and you blew it. I'm not sure your advice is the one to follow."

 _Thunk_. Midoriya slumped across the table, eyes unfocused as he groaned like the undead. "D... don't remind me," he muttered. "Arrow... through the heart..."

Mina smiled. "Denki, honey, be careful. Deku's new to the game. He's still delicate."

Midoriya sat bolt upright so fast he swore he heard a sonic boom. "I'm not delicate!" he roared, and a few people around him giggled.

"Of course not," Aoyama said, finally getting his mojo back as he struck a pose. "You are refined and sensitive like a true gentleman, Izuku. _Magnifique!"_

Denki snorted and finished his lunch (he fed a bite to Mina. Ugh). "Sorry, my dudes, but you've got a ways to go. Just keep trying, okay?"

 _Keep trying..._ Midoriya peeked over Denki's shoulder and felt his heart freeze when he saw Bakugo and Ochaco chatting it up over lunch near the northwest corner of the room. It was over, wasn't it? There was no use inserting more quarters; it was game over, forever.

Well, there was always college...

Mina opened her mouth to say something else insufferable when the bell for afternoon classes chimed, and the students got up to leave. "We have modern art next, right?" Mina said as she hopped off Denki's lap and picked up her empty tray.

"Yeah. Gotta visit the bathroom first," Denki grunted as he got up. "I'll catch up."

Mina smiled and nuzzled Denki's nose with hers. "I'll miss you," she said sweetly.

Denki returned the favor. "I'll miss you more."

"I'll miss you most of all, my darling dove."

"I can't go a minute without you, my sweet angel."

Aoyama made a face. _"Mon Dieu,"_ he muttered as he shoved back his chair and slouched off. He definitely wasn't glittering or sparkling today. The two-headed Denki/Mina monster had swallowed his aura whole! Was that a good thing or a bad thing? Who knew in these crazy times?

Anyway, Deku put away his empty lunch tray and shuffled out of the crowded cafeteria with the rest of class 1-A, making sure to avoid Bakugo and Ochaco as he went. He just couldn't be around them right now.

"Deku! Hey!"

"Oh, what now?" Midoriya muttered, speeding up. But the voice was following him, and he actually yelped when a hand seized his shoulder. He stopped and turned to face... Himiko Toga?

"Deku," she said. "Can we talk?"

"But I have class."

"I just need a minute."

"Toga -"

"Please?"

The sudden, desperate tone in her voice cut off Midoriya's irritation and instead made him realize that this could only be about one thing. Dammit. His mother raised him better than that. So, he followed Toga around a corner and into an empty classroom, then shut the door behind him.

Toga looked timid as she looked down, toying with her fingers. "Deku, um..."

"Look -"

"Izuku!" Toga looked up, her eyes watering with tears. "How could you do that to me? I was so embarrassed!"

Midoriya felt a chill. "W-well, Toga -"

"It's Himiko."

"Okay, um... Himiko, I'm sorry, okay?" Izuku scratched the back of his head and tried to make a watery smile. "I screwed up pretty bad."

"But how could you just run off like that? I thought..." Toga bit her lower lip, exposing two of her rather long canines. "I thought we had something really special between us, Izuku. I was so happy to go to Momo's sweet 16 with you, but you think I'm not even worth it!" She started crying for real.

 _Nooooo!_ Midoriya definitely started panicking when Toga busted out the tears, and he seized his head, trying to think of what the male lead does in situations like this during those soap operas his mom watches. Think, think...

"F-forget it, Izuku," Toga choked, wiping her eyes with her uniform's sleeve. "It's n-nothing."

"What?"

"I-I have to go to class!" Toga rushed past him, wrenched the door open, and disappeared into the crowds, leaving a stunned Midoriya standing there. But... wasn't she the one who called _him_ here? Now she runs off? What did he do wrong now?!

Midoriya sighed. _I'm never going to hear the end of this, am I? Oh man, it's definitely GAME OVER this time! I think I got kicked out of the entire arcade!_

He was two minutes late to miss Kayama's art class, but boy did he have anything but Impressionism and its techniques on his mind that day!

*o*o*o*o*

Not only did Midoriya have to endure an afternoon of Denki/Mina being insufferable (that was their #1 adjective at the moment), but wondering if Toga was about to vandalize his house in revenge and wondering what Ochaco would think of all this. Ochaco... he could hardly keep his eyes off her during class, where she quietly sat and took notes like anyone else, answering the occasional question... she was a model student, not someone who fumbles with other people's hearts! She seemed to hard to reach by now, like she was in another world, like a dream...

Okay, that's enough sentimental talk. But honestly, Midoriya felt like he'd stumbled over some point of no return. Ugh... and he thought this was gonna be his year, too.

It was a relief when Bakugo caught up to him after class on the front grounds and asked Midoriya to visit Bottle Bridge with him. On bikes, of course. Midoriya happily accepted the invitation, and ten minutes later, both boys were pedaling down the neighborhood, and Midoriya already felt better as he pumped his legs on the pedals, the wind rushing past his face the whole time... There was nothin' else like it.

Bakugo, though, was weirdly quiet as the boys cut through one of their usual scenic routes, and he didn't even wave hello like he usually did to the nice old man who owned a little shop on the street. The explosion boy's mind was totally fixed on something else. Uh-oh...

Twenty minutes later, Bakugo and Midoriya pulled up at Bottle Bridge, where punks liked to drink and hurl their beer bottles over the railing into the large creek below. Today, though, the place was serene, lit by the early evening's sun as the trees rustled in the breeze and birds cawed in the distance.

Bakugo put down his bike's pedal and wandered to Bottle Bridge's halfway point like he usually did, leaning on the rail as he watched the creek flow fifteen feet below him. Unsure what to make of this, Midoriya joined him, also watching the creek's water rush and burble over the rocks and random bottles.

"Why don't you trust me, man?" Bakugo finally spoke up.

"Huh?"

Bakugo turned to look at his best friend. "You've been sulking ever since Momo's fancy-pants party, Deku. It's because Ochaco asked me out, right?"

"And you said yes!" Midoriya cried. "Kacchan, _why_? You said you weren't into her! And you know that I -"

"Dammit, Deku! It was a heat of the moment kind of decision," Bakugo snapped. "You know I make those."

"Sure, when you decide to eat a whole cake on a dare or when you jumped off the roof of a moving car into some bushes. But going out with my crush?" Midoriya poured every ounce of his hurt into his voice. Bottling it up just made it stronger!

"I did it to show her that I ain't the kinda guy she really wants to ask out!" Bakugo erupted, gesturing wildly. "She wouldn't leave me alone, Deku! She didn't care jack squat about you because she was into bad-boy me. I had to... well, break the illusion. Or whatever."

Midoriya gawked, not expecting this angle. Kacchan... he went out with Ochaco just to turn her off? "So you dated her just to show how lousy a date you are?"

Bakugo nearly had a heart attack. "N-no! Dude! I mean, I just acted like myself. That's all!" He took a breath to calm himself. "Look. Deku. You're a terrific guy, and I really think you deserve a shot with the new girl. But if you ain't gonna trust me with things like this, what's that say about you as a friend?"

"I..." Midoriya didn't think that Bakugo would turn the tables like this. He swallowed. "My imagination ran wild, Kacchan. Put yourself in my shoes for a minute."

"What, those big red things?" Bakugo cracked a teasing grin as he looked down at Midoriya's signature oversized shoes. "C'mon, Deku. I'd trust a friend to know what he's doing. I'm the one who's hurt here."

"Well, it really looked like you were into her, after all." Midoriya didn't really mean it anymore, though. The anger already felt silly.

Bakugo shook his head. "No way. I thought you'd know that I always have your back, Deku. Didn't think I even had to explain myself."

Midoriya managed a grin back. "Call me insecure if you want, but a text message about it would've been nice."

"Oh, man. You're a piece of work, Deku. Damn crazy kid." Bakugo grinned wider and suddenly got an arm lock on his best friend. He threatened a noogie. "Do I have to scrub the crazy out of you, Deku?"

"K-Kacchan! Stop!"

"Might do you some good, Deku."

"Dude!"

Bakugo let him go and put his hands into his jeans pockets. He shrugged. "Look, if it freaked you out that bad, I'm sorry, okay? Damn, this turned into a big mess, didn't it..."

"Just tell me one thing. Did your plan work? What happened on the date?"

Bakugo clapped Midoriya on the shoulder with a big smile. "Relax, Deku. The plan worked out. Ochaco and I are friends, but that's it. I think, well..." He glanced away, looking vaguely embarrassed. "I think she found me kind of dense and shallow. She totally put me on a pedestal as some James Dean bad boy, but I'm just a guy with simple tastes. Put another way, I think she got bored of me."

Midoriya made a sly smile. "She won't think that if you get your Super Bakugo Blaster Olympics tournament going."

Bakugo snorted. "That? I gave up on that idea after my mom wouldn't let me attach an engine and a parachute to my bicycle."

"Because you're too young for a real motorcycle?"

Yeah, and also because buying six live sharks ain't practical for a 16-year-old Japanese schoolboy." Bakugo chuckled. "That Olympics was gonna be pretty dangerous, now that I think about it. Sometimes my dumb mom really keeps me from blowing myself up."

"You're all kinds of humble today, Kacchan."

"And don't you tell anyone!" Bakugo erupted. "If anyone heard that, my reputation's toast!"

Midoriya held a hand over his heart. "As far as everyone else is concerned, you'll definitely host the Super Bakugo Blaster Olumpics to celebrate graduation."

"That's my boy." Bakugo was quiet for a moment. "So, uh... that Toga girl. I heard through the grapevine that she's crying her eyes out since you ditched her at Momo's party."

"That's... true." Midoriya looked down at his feet.

Bakugo whistled. "Damn, Deku, how many hearts are you gonna break?"

"Kacchan!"

"What are you gonna do about her? She's your stalker. You can't avoid her forever."

Midoriya pursed his lips. Normally, Toga shadowed him everywhere like a puppy, but was she avoiding him now? Heck, maybe she'd run away if he tried to comfort her. Y'know, give him a taste of his own medicine? "I dunno, Kacchan."

"Heck, me neither." Bakugo walked over to his bike and gave Midoriya a slap on the back as he went. "Look, Ochaco is all yours now. But maybe you gotta put out some fires first."

"That coming from Lord Explosion Murder."

"That was my dumb nickname from middle school!" Bakugo roared from over his shoulder. "I ain't that guy anymore!"

"Sure thing, my Lord."

"Ugh... sort out your own mess, heartbreaker Deku. Or I won't be the only one callin' you that." Bakugo resumed his teasing grin as he got on his bike, and just for fun, he made engine revving noises. "You coming or what, heartbreaker?"

"I swear, this is the last time you'll call me that..." Midoriya obliged, getting on his bike and following Bakugo over Bottle Bridge, down the street, and deeper into town. Out here in the outskirts, it was easy to feel at peace with everything. But now Midoriya had to face the music!

*o*o*o*o*

Facing the music came earier than expected.

Midoriya was just getting into his science homework when the doorbell rang, and he impulsively checked the clock on his wall. 8:02. What the heck? That sure wasn't a pizza delivery...

"I'll get it, dear," Inko called from the living room. "Just keep working on your homework."

"Sure, mom." Midoriya tried to sound casual, but his tone changed when he heard a familiar girl's voice at the front door a few seconds later, and he considered jumping out the window and into the bushes when he heard Inko invite the young woman inside and direct her to Midoriya's bedroom!

Sure enough, Himiko Toga opened his bedroom door, but she didn't slam it or anything like he expected. Instead, she looked just as meek as she did at school, minus the tears. Okay, things could be worse.

"Um... Deku darling? Can I come in?" Toga hovered at the threshold like a vampire, rocking back and forth on her heels.

Midoriya closed his science book and stood. "Please do." _And please don't make a scene! But then again, I started this... today just won't end!_

He wondered what the happy-go-lucky doofuses in his class were doing tonight. Then he pictured Denki and Mina sucking face and he regretted it.

"Thanks, Deku." Toga crept into the room and sat on his bed, kneeling in the middle, facing Midoriya. "I, uh..." she started. "I freaked out at school earlier, but I've had time to calm down and think. Deku -"

"I'm sorry," Midoriya blurted out. He rushed over and shut the door before his mom could hear more (she had ears like a bat). "I said it earlier, at school, but I mean it. I hurt you, and that wasn't okay. I won't treat you like that again."

Toga brightened a bit. "Thank you, darling. If I may, um..." She glanced around, clearly thinking hard. "Do I bother you? Am I annoying?"

Midoriya froze like he was the sudden star of a crazy game show. How did he answer _that_ sucker?! Or would he give it away on his face? Stupid face!

"Oh, I know. I'm Himiko the stalker," Toga said with a nervous giggle. "I'm sorry too, Deku darling. I know I get kinda carried away. But it's just 'cause I like you so much, and I was so shy, I... well, I hid it by acting crazy all the time. It made things easier, you know?"  
Midoriya wasn't terribly unfamiliar with the idea. "Is that why you pop up from behind bushes and from inside trash cans like Oscar the Grouch?"

"That was only once," Toga said defensively. She relaxed and made a watery smile. "Deku, um... should I leave you alone from now on? If you want to be rid of me, you can say so, and I'll understand."

There it was... the dangling, ripe fruit of freedom from Toga's stalking! But damn, she made it so he'd feel so guilty! This girl was impossible to negotiate with!

But then again...

Deku sat down beside her, and he realized how weird it was to be this close to Toga without her forcing it on him. "Toga, how come I'm so hard to approach? Why the antics?"

Toga looked down at her lap. "Uh... well... you're so nice, Deku, you're like a ray of light to me, and I was kinda intimidated. I didn't have any serious friends in middle school, and here at high school, everyone knows me as Himiko the nutcase. She made an embarrassed giggle and looked up at Midoriya's eyes. "You're so kind and patient and warm, Deku, and it's so different from what I'm used to. I couldn't help but be drawn to you."

Midoriya blinked. "Huh? Different from what?"

"Can you keep a secret?"

"Sure I can."

"I don't bring people to my house because I don't want them to know what kind of life I have," Toga admitted. She bit her lower lip and looked at the wall ahead of her. "My dad divorced my mom four years ago and just ran, and my mom took it really hard. She lost her job and took a worse one just to get booze money, and when I'm around her, I'm lucky if all she does is ignore me." She took a deep breath and met Midoriya's eyes again. "Deku, there's no love in that house. And my dad wasn't too great, either, when he was around. You're so different from that, and I had to see what it's like. But it was so hard. I covered my feelings up by being the psycho everyone knows me as."

Midoriya sat there in stunned silence, absorbing all that. Whoa, this poor girl had it rough, and she didn't even let anyone know. Maybe she didn't want pity. Midoriya took a deep breath. "Toga -"

"It's Himiko to you, darling." That hungry smile was already back. Damn, those girl's teeth were like werewolf fangs! Scary!

"Himiko, I'm sure you don't want a huge pity parade, but I can say for sure that if you need a friend... I'm here for you." Midoriya nodded. "Okay? Just dial back the stalker business, and I'll be there for you. We could be study partners sometimes, or I could show you my favorite stunt bike places, or I could take you to this little shop down Cherry Road that sells amazing homemade motchi..."

Himiko blushed bright red and she held her face in her hands. "D-Deku, darling...!"

Midoriya made a casual smile. Heck, this girl wasn't so bad after all. "I can be your friend if you can be mine."

Toga gasped with sheer delight, and she impulsively grabbed his shoulders and leaned in close, definitely coming in with a hot kiss of passion!

Then she stopped just half an inch from Midoriya's lips and drew back, making another shy giggle. "Sorry," she said, toying with her hair.

"Y-you don't have to apologize."

"Sure I do. The boy I love is interested in another girl," Toga said, that old smile still in place. She kept toying with her hair. "But if you're happy, so am I. That's all I want."

"Thanks, I -"

Midoriya could have sworn he suddenly shot upwards like a rocket and bounced off the ceiling, and he felt his jaw drop. "D-did you say that you _love_ -?"

"Hush, darling." Toga pressed a finger to his lips. "You're so kind and bright, and I love you for it. But I'm happy just to be with you, either here or if you take me out for homemade motchi."

"H-Himiko...?"

"Tell you what, darling." Toga held up that finger for emphasis. "If I can call myself your friend, I'll protect your happiness. You're crazy about that Uraraka girl, right? I'm not surprised. She's as kind and warm as you are."

Midoriya thought about Ochaco's cheerful laugh with her friends, her inviting smile, how she always asked people how they were doing... he felt his face warm, and Toga was taking in every detail of it.

"I can put my love second," Toga said, "if you'll be true to yourself and find happiness. With my blessing."

How did it come to this?! First the Bakugo-Ochaco date turned out to be Kacchan's master plan to dissolve Ochaco's interest in him, and now _Himiko Toga_ was joining his team? Did he wake up on Mars?

"Himiko, I don't know what to say."

"How about 'I swear I'll find happiness no matter what.' Or 'Yes, Lady Toga, of course I'll do what you say!'"

"I think I know which you'd prefer."

"That's the beauty of it, Deku darling." Toga leaned in closer again, a sly look on her face. "I'm fine with either one."

Somehow, Inko chose that exact millisecond to open the door.

"Izuku, Himiko, it's getting a big late - oh my!" Inko went pink when she saw the neighbor girl leaning in super close to her son's face. "Did I come in at a bad time?"

 _Not to mention how you didn't knock!_ Midoriya drew back a little. "I-it's nothing."

"Don't worry, I need to go back home anyway. Thanks for letting me in." Toga hopped off the bed and waltzed past Inko. "And by the way, Mrs. Midoriya, keep an eye on that Uraraka girl. She's very _special_ , if you know what I mean!" She giggled all the way out of the house.

Inko made a funny look as she contemplated her son. "Izuku, you've gotten popular this year, haven't you? It's a festival of girls out there."

Okay, that does it. Midoriya dived under the covers and hid himself in a protective cocoon from everyone's attempts to invade his private life. "I'm not here!" he declared, reusing an old line from his younger days.

"Whatever you say, Mr. stud." Inko's retreating footsteps did nothing to calm Midoriya down. Instead, he threw up his hands in despair and wondered which love god to implore for a little divine intervention. Wasn't _anyone_ listening?


	8. Chapter 8

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 8: Thinking About the Future (whew, what a headache)**

Having class together with Ochaco was still a little awkward in the wake of Momo's Birthday Party-gate (that incident needed a better name), but Bakugo's gruff yet kind words also rattled around in Midoriya's head, so the end result was that he usually buried his face in a book whenever Ochaco looked at him, just in case he had a guilty expression. At one point, he accidentally smacked his nose with his history book while doing this, and Mineta found that way too funny until Tsuyu gave him her usual tongue slap (although there was a risk of Mineta developing an immunity to that).

"Listen up, everyone," Aizawa said on the morning of October 1st as homeroom started. "Today is the annual job fair, so after fifth period lets out, all students are to report to the gymnasium for the fair. And be on your best behavior. You all should make a good impression to the recruiters."

Iida bolted to his feet, saluting. "Of course, teacher!" he cried. "Leave it to us! We will listen quietly and not make a big fuss! You can count on me!"

"No big fuss, huh?" Kirishima commented, plugging his ears. Sometimes, Midoriya could have sworn Iida had the vocal cords of a fire alarm.

Momo stood, too. "I'm so excited," she said breathlessly, a hand over her heart. "This is a chance to glimpse our futures and see who we will become! Oh, I hope it goes well..."

"That's the spirit, Yaoyorozu!" Iida cried, whipping around to face her, doing his funny I'm-in-serious-mode motions with his arms. "Today, we shall discover our future together!"

"It sounds like you want to marry her, Iida," Tsuyu commented.

Iida went bright red, and this time he directed his funny I'm-in-serious-mode motions at the frog girl. "O-of course not! I only meant, she and I are on the verge of a great discovery, and I want to share that moment with her!"

Mineta snorted. "Now _that_ sounds like se -"

Tsuyu's tong was fast, but Jiro was faster; she whirled around and crammed her pencil case right into Mineta's mouth. Bulls-eye! The shorter kid could only manage "Mmmmmmf!", which was a total relief.

"Well, _I_ , at least, appreciate our class representative's enthusiasm," Momo said fondly, and this time she had both hands over her heart. "Don't you all?"

There was a general mutter of "Maybe...?"

"Aren't you all looking forward to the job fair?" Momo pressed them.

There was a general mutter of "Kind of...?"  
"Fine," Momo pouted. "Don't take the initiative. See where it takes you." She sat, arms folded, looking away in a totally pretentious manner.

Iida reluctantly sat back down, adjusting his glasses. "I expect more out of you all," he said, but the class was just giggling at him by now. "That job fair is important."

"No, what's important is getting red bean buns in the cafeteria today before they run out," Denki said, actually salivating as he rubbed his hands together.

Sero sat up straight, eyes wide. "Holy crap! It's bean bun day already?"

"I want two!" Mina cheered, raising a fist.

"Three!" Toru added.

"I'm allergic to red beans..." Fumikage hung his head.

Mina patted him on the back. "I'm sorry, Fumikage. I'll always remember you."

"I-I'm not dying!" Fumikage yelped.

Mina simply giggled.

"Well, study quietly until first period," Aizawa said. "Get to work, everyone."

Rikido Sato raised his hand. "Sir!"

Aizawa blinked. "What is it, Sato?"

Sato grinned with those thick lips of his. "Sir, you seem a bit perky today. Did you have a coffee on the way to work?"

"I did, actually."

"If you have to visit the bathroom, sir, we totally understand. We'll be fine in here."

"Now that you mention it..." Aizawa hurried out the room and slammed the door behind him.

Kirishima snorted with laughter. "Good one, Sato."

Sato looked stunned. "I didn't think that would work."

And just like that, the class erupted into general chatter, no paper notes needed. Freedom!

"Guys, c'mere a second," Denki said, motioning to a few of his classmates. "I've got a secret."

"Nice." Bakugo sprang from his seat and joined Denki at the far wall, and Midoriya joined them with Sero and Aoyama.

Denki motioned for everyone to huddle together, all secret-like. At once, his happy-go-lucky face dissolved into panic. "Guys! _Guys_!" he whispered urgently.

Bakugo scowled. "We can already hear you, loser. Spit it out."

Denki scowled back. "Since you asked so nicely... I've got a problem here."

"Yes, I know," Aoyama said.

Denki blinked. "For real? Then what should I do?"

"You should switch to anti-dandruff shampoo, _mon ami._ "

Denki nearly choked. "What the hell, man!"

Aoyama made a sparkling wink. "You're welcome."

"No, that's not it! Although I could stand to follow that advice..." Denki scratched at his electric-yellow hair. "But seriously, listen. Mina's been great. It's awesome having a girlfriend!"

Midoriya made a face. "Way to rub it in."

"I mean..." Denki swallowed. "I've never had a serious girlfriend before, and I don't want to screw this up. But all we've done is, y'know, holding hands and stuff..."

"A _lot_ more stuff," Bakugo said with another scowl. One of these days, his face would get stuck like that...

"Yeah, but none of it's serious," Denki admitted, going pink in the face. "I dunno what to do! I think Mina wants some big romantic gesture, but I can't figure one out. She's gonna get bored of me, man!"

"If you start crying, I'll throw you out that window," Bakugo teased, jerking his head at the nearest window, which was definitely Denki Kaminari-sized.

"Seriously!" Denki hissed. "Help a guy out here!"

"Take her to the amusement park," Sero put in.

Denki shook his head. "No, she gets motion sickness really easily. Just mentioning roller coasters makes her faint."

"How about a cafe?" Midoriya put in. "Fresh air, a classy vibe, nice drinks..."

"But that's kinda cliche," Denki complained. "And I'm not great at making a lot of small talk."

"Yeah, 'cause you keep getting your mouth stuck on Mina's face," Bakugo put in.

"For good reason," Denki said with a smirk.

"What about a cooking class?" Midoriya tried.

"That's not bad," Denki said. "But what about something free?"

"Broke as ever," Bakugo commented.

"I don't hear any bright ideas from _you_ ," Denki said sourly. "What did you do on your date with Uraraka? Give me some ideas here."

Midoriya flinched and he felt his heart race. Crud. He just barely managed to forget how Bakugo and Ochaco had dated, and now this...!

"Took her to the movies," Bakugo said casually, "then we sat in the park and talked for a while. Wasn't that fun."

Sero grinned. "Is that a comment on her dating skills or yours?"

"Don't even try to insult her!" Midoriya hissed.

Sero's grin widened. "Sorry, Deku. Didn't know you cared so much."

"He's into the Uraraka girl," Bakugo said simply.

Denki cracked a wide grin just like Sero's. "Whoa, for real? That's hilarious!"

Midoriya made an irritated. "And what is so funny about it?"

"Ah, that is so beautiful, Midoriya!" Aoyama exclaimed. "Surely you should romance her!"

"But how?" Midoriya said urgently. "Things are already complicated. She doesn't like how I ditched Toga at Momo's birthday party, and she might still have feelings for Kacchan."

"Damn, that is a tough one," Sero admitted. "I'm stumped, Deku."

"Is there some reason we're not talkin' about me anymore?" Denki complained.

"I dated her just so she'd get bored of me," Bakugo bragged. "Clever, huh? That's 'cause I'm Deku's wingman. Now he's her only option left."

"That's such an unflattering way to put it," Midoriya groaned.

"But hey, it's kinda true, ain't it?" Bakugo pressed him.

"Okay, yeah."

"And you still wanna get with her, right?"

Midoriya felt himself going redder. "Y-yeah, I do. She's so kind and smart and pretty. She's captivating."

" _Magnifique._ My heart melts!" Aoyama said dramatically. "Midoriya, love must triumph! Surely you will find a way!"

"That's the hope," Midoriya said. "But... I don't think I have an angle."

"And neither will I, at this rate," Denki said bitterly.

"Denki, just ask one of the girls for date ideas," Bakugo said impatiently. "And Deku, c'mon. You're cool. You're a pal. Just study with Ochaco, or pet-sit for her dog, or take her out on a bike ride. You like doin' stuff for your friends, right?"  
"Like that time he watched over Hatsume's store for two days straight," Sero said with a chuckle.

Aoyama blinked. "What happened?"

Bakugo made a toothy grin. "She made him stay in the store for ten minutes while she ran an errand. Then ten minutes turned in an hour, which turned into an afternoon, which turned into an overnight shift, which turned into two solid days."

"There was nothing to do in that store!" Midoriya cried, agonizing over the memory. "I missed three meals!"

"See? You're stubbornly loyal to your friends," Bakugo encouraged him. "It's also like that time you babysat Tsuyu's kid brother and sister while she was at a swim meet."

"They tore out half my hair," Midoriya said sadly. "I had to wear a hat for so long."

"But you get the point," Bakugo said. "You'll think of somethin', Deku. Just hang in there."

Midoriya actually did feel a little better. "Okay, sure. Thanks."

"And... break!" Bakugo said, and the five boys split up the huddle just in time for Aizawa to re-enter the classroom.

"Whew. Wound up visiting the teacher's lounge to catch up with coach Yagi," Aizawa said, right before he took in the whole scene. His eyes flared red. "Is there some reason you're all gossiping and getting out of your seats? And is that a paper airplane?!"

Jiro had been throwing paper airplanes the whole time, aiming for targets that Kirishima drew on the chalkboard, and she was poised to throw another. She made an embarrassed smile. "Busted," she said nervously.

Aizawa swept his furious gaze from the five boys out of their seat to Sato, who was sitting on the windowsill, eating a cupcake. "Detention! All twenty of you!" he roared. "Congratulations, you made me raise my voice. Pray this never happens again!"

Midoriya meekly slumped back into his seat as Aizawa stormed over to his own desk. "What a disaster..." he moaned.

Ochaco giggled. "Don't feel bad, Deku. At least we're all on equal grounds, right?"

"I... guess." Midoriya gave her a grateful look. "Sorry. This class is crazy. It'll get you in trouble sometimes."

Ochaco smiled. "That's okay. I got in a little trouble a few times at my old school, too. Sometimes a girl just has to have fun, right?"

"Yeah, I think so." Midoriya smiled back, his heart soaring. What was this? Were things turning around for poor, downtrodden Midoriya at long last? Or was Ochaco hiding her outrage at getting detention under a calm facade? Who knew, maybe she had a huge temper! If she did, maybe she _should_ date Kacchan again...

Midoriya shook his head to clear it. No! Eyes on the prize! "I'm just glad you're in a good mood," he wound up saying.

"Hey! I said be quiet!" Aizawa snapped, and both Midoriya and Ochaco fell silent. But not even Aizawa's bad mood could dampen Midoriya's spirits today!

*o*o*o*o*

Sure enough, after fifth period was wrapped up (finally), Midoriya joined the crowd of his fellow students to the gymnasium, and Aizawa wasn't kidding; this place was packed!

"There's so many booths," Shoto commented simply, hands in his pockets when class 1-A entered the gym with the other classes around them. "I'm not sure where I should start."

"Oh! I know!" Iida got a manic glint in his eye as he raced off, and he was already chatting up the rep from a fitness company that specialized in running. Wasn't that cheating...?

"Got any idea where to start?" Bakugo asked Midoriya. "Anything look good to you?"

"Hmmmm... hard to say..." Midoriya held his chin and glanced down as he reviewed his options. "I have no quirk, so maybe something more like an office job? But there are quirks that are useful in an office, too... well, maybe a counseling job or life coaching? People have said that I'm so helpful to them... but then again, I like athletics, so maybe a personal trainer for people without performance-enhancing quirks... that could be it, unless..."

He was wrapped up in his own world, unaware that Bakugo, Ochaco, and Mina were all watching him.

"... I kind of like animals, but people with animal quirks have better affinity with them... or maybe I could revisit the office job idea, and find something like financial planning or working for a staffing agency... since I like people..."

"Earth to Deku!" Mina cried, cupping her hand around her mouth. But it was no good. Midoriya was muttering too hard and too fast to even make sense. He was like an overheating computer, and the circuit boards were smoking...!

Ochaco gently held Midoriya's hand and lowered it. "Deku, it's okay," she said with a bracing smile. "I'm sure you'll find something. Won't know until you look, right? There may be the perfect thing here for you!"

"I sure hope so," Bakugo said warily, "because Deku here will go all day. He's missed meals before..."

"Trying to distract me with junk food doesn't count as missing meals," Midoriya shot back, but he couldn't help a grin. "Are you jealous of my planning skills?"

"Deku, the day I'm jealous of that, I'll buy glasses and steal the class rep job from Iida."

"WHAT?!" Tenya Iida zoomed over, boosted with his quirk, panting. "Did you challenge me for the position of class representative, Katsuki Bakugo?! Should I start my political campaign right now?"

Bakugo made a face. "You can't take a joke, can you?"

"I think that's enough, don't you?" Momo looked annoyed as she took hold of Iida's shirt collar and dragged him off. She waved to the others. "Don't let us bother you. Enjoy the job fair!"

Midoriya sighed. "Sometimes I wonder what being in some other school would be like. 'Quiet', I'm guessing."

Ochaco giggled. "No way, Deku. I love this school and everyone in it. Let's find some booths to visit, okay?"

Midoriya couldn't say no to that radiant face. "You got it."

But alas, nothing really stood out to Midoriya, and not to Bakugo, either, not even a company that specialized in explosions for mining and tunnel digging. And all the while, Denki and Mina were ignoring the booths entirely and making out in the corner (more than a few people took pictures of the oblivious couple to mock them on the Internet). At least Ochaco got something out of all this.

"Oooooh! Look!" Ochaco practically squealed with delight when she found a construction company, and she rushed right over to introduce herself.

"Welcome," the man said kindly. "We're a contract construction company for -"

"I know! Watch this!" Ochaco was all smiles when she reached out and touched a two-by-four that acted as a material sample. To Midoriya's amazement, the piece of wood floated gently into the air like a balloon, slowly turning over as though it were in space. Out of this world!

The man clapped. "Fantastic. Is that a zero-gravity quirk you're using?"

"Yeah. Look!" Ochaco also touched a brick, a hammer, and some nails (using all of her fingers each time) and the objects floated up... and up some more, all the way to the ceiling.

"Ooops. I can't control it that well yet," Ochaco said with a shy giggle. She touched all her fingertip together, and the floating stuff came crashing back down. And the nails all landed right around Bakugo like bullets!

"What the hell!" Bakugo erupted. "You trying to kill me?"

"Sorry!" Ochaco tried to get the nails out of the wooden floor, but they had sunken pretty deep. Good thing they missed, because Midoriya didn't exactly have Bakugo's eulogy written yet. It would probably have a lot of puns.

The man still looked impressed. "With some training, young lady, you could be _very_ useful for construction. I urge you to consider it."

"My parents run a construction company," Ochaco said as she patted the enraged Bakugo's head to calm him down. "I learned a lot from watching the workers on project sites."

They went on for awhile until Ochaco led the boys onwards, continuing the noble quest to find their dream jobs. Still, Midoriya didn't see much of interest (even counting an actual lion trainer), but something else interesting was going on.

"Mom? You're here, too?" Kyoka Jiro said, her eyes wide when she happened by a rock band's booth.

A woman in her mid-thirties smiled. "Kyoka, honey, is that any way to greet your mother?"

"Sorry," Jiro said. "But I thought you guys were too busy for this."

"Ain't much use until we find a new electrician," a bandmate said gruffly. "Can't find a new guy worth a damn."

That was the magic word. Denki Kaminari, the lightning-slinging doofus, rushed over with Mina in tow, an eager look on his face.

"Denki Kaminari! Nice to meet you guys!" Denki bowed hastily. "I love electric work and stuff! I used to fix radios and computers when I was younger. I know electronics inside and out!"

Jiro snorted. "Since when do you have the smarts for that?"

Denki gave two thumbs up. "It's my hidden talent, my saving grace! I suck at homework, but I know wires and electricity! Please hire me!"

"Yeah, you should," Mina added, wrapping her arms around Denki. "I'm Mina Ashido, his girlfriend. My Denki is a genius. Come on, why not give him a chance?"

The gruff bandmate looked skeptical. "Kid, our gear is pretty advanced."

Mina put on her best puppy-dog eyes (she made it look so easy). "Pleeeease? My Denki can do anything! He's been waiting for a special opportunity like this! It would make him so happy."

"I'm not sure, kid..."

Midoriya knew that baby talk was Mina's next step, and he did _not_ want anyone to hear that. He rushed over. "Hey there. Izuku Midoriya here. I've seen Denki work on anything with wires that he could find. Did he tell you about the time he dug an old amp out of the trash and got it working?"

Denki clapped a hand to his forehead. "Duh! How did I forget that? It's super relevant!"

The woman, who seemed to be Jiro's mom, gave Denki and appraising look. "Maybe I could bring you in as an unpaid intern and test you out. I'm Mika Jiro, by the way, lead guitarist and co-manager with my husband. Will you impress me, Denki Kaminari?"

Denki threw up both hands in joy. "Yeah! I'll do anything to get the job! I'll even wash your car!"

Mina gently lowered her boyfriend's arms. "Denki, honey, I don't think bargaining is your strong suit." She looked at Mika Jiro with a smile. "Thank you so much for this. He won't let you down."

"Well, aren't you the sweetest thing." Mika chuckled behind her hand. "Ashido, was it?"

"Yeah. I'm like a rock star's girlfriend! It's fun!" Mina waved her arms, beaming. "What do you call that in the show biz?"

"Nothing in particular," Kyoka Jiro said. "And my mom's the rock star, mind you! Your blockhead boyfriend just fixes things."

Mika scowled. "Kyoka, be nice to your classmates."

"Sorry, mom."

"Don't mind her," Mika told Denki and Mina. "Kyoka was never very good at showing happiness for others."

"Mom!" Kyoka went pink, stomping a foot.

"There you go, Denki." Midoriya clapped Denki on the back. "Looking forward to it?"

"Only heck yeah!" Denki threw up two pairs of devil's horns, and Kyoka sighed and slapped a hand over her face.

It looked like Denki might miss some bicycle trips to work on this new gig, but heck, he deserved this, and by the time the job fair was over, Midoriya was feeling pretty good about everything. Then, once the final bell for school rang to let everyone out, Ochaco caught up to Midoriya on the school's sprawling front grounds.

"Deku! Hey!" she cried, waving an arm to get his attention as she jogged toward him.

 _Ochaco?_ Midoriya felt a thrill in his stomach as he stopped to wave back. "Hi."

"Hi yourself." Ochaco stopped just a few feet in front of him, looking a bit shy. "Hey, Deku... can we talk?"

All kinds of excited and nervous thoughts raced around Midoriya's head like little racecars, but he did his best to ignore them (especially since the most worried thoughts were in the lead). "Yeah, sure. What's on your mind?"

Ochaco gave him an appraising look. "Dek- Izuku, I think I might have misjudged you."

"H-huh?" Was she about to criticize him?! Uh-oh!

"I mean, even when I first met you, I could tell that you're such a nice person," Ochaco said slowly, as though figuring out the words as she went. "Um... well, when you ditched Himiko at Momo's party, she was really upset, and I was sure that I had you all wrong, that you were a horrible person."

This was getting tense. Where was Ochaco going with this?

Ochaco brightened. "But Katsuki explained everything on our date. You're not a bad guy, Deku. You just got overwhelmed, right? And you felt so bad about leaving Himiko there. I could tell just from watching you over the last few days."

Midoriya pounced on his chance to set this poor record straight at last. "Thanks, Ochaco. You're right. I hurt Himiko, and I really do regret what I did to her. I swear, I normally don't do stuff like that! I made it up to her, and we're kind of friends now. We're cool."

Ochaco nodded. "Okay. I trust you, Deku, and I'm glad to hear that."

There was an awkward moment of silence.

"Um... Deku..." Ochaco blushed and looked down, shifting her feet nervously. "Do you... I mean..." She looked up and blurted out, "D-do you like me, Deku?"

Midoriya wasn't ready for that one! He resisted the urge to back up. "W-well, uh..." He was going red too, and he was sure that his face was giving everything away.

Ochaco made a shy giggle. "I mean, we're neighbors, and you've been trying so hard to impress me..."

"What d'you mean?"

"Oh, please. How you made such a show of getting Denki and Mina together at the party, being their good friend... and acting so cool and tough on our bike trips... and how you gave your friendship to the scary Bakugo when no one else wanted to be his best friend..."

Midoriya chuckled nervously. "I think you got me there. I thought I was so clever."

"I had friends like that at my old school, people who always put others first," Ochaco said. "And you know what?"

"Wh-what?"

Ochaco leaned forward and actually kissed his cheek. "They were my favorites."

"Uh..." Midoriya put a hand to the kiss spot and stood rooted in place as Ochaco turned and skipped off.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Deku!" she cried over her shoulder.

"Y... yeah. See you." Midoriya waved weakly with his free hand, his heart going a mile a minute. Heck, maybe two miles. Did that really just happen?! Was he breaking new ground with the literal girl next door?

He had it wrong before. This was _definitely_ going to be his year!


	9. Chapter 9

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 9: Trying Out for the Team (get your geek hats on)**

Midoriya thought that high school had enough complications to juggle, with students either bragging about or worrying about the career opportunities they found (or didn't!), not to mention Himiko Toga taking every chance to give Midoriya a loud "Hello!" (and getting a weary "hi, Himiko" every time), and Denki and Mina _still_ being the stuck-up model couple ("PDA" didn't cover half of it), and the newfound, fragile opportunity to score big with Ochaco now that Bakugo diverted her to Midoriya like... that guy who pulls a lever to shift the train tracks. Whatever. The point was, between all that and homework, and trying to find time to take a bike ride to relax, Midoriya hardly even paid attention when the principal piled on yet another thing.

 _"Good morning, students!"_ the animal principal said over the intercom one morning during homeroom. _"It's a very special time of year. The annual, national science bowl competition is taking place one week from today, and I wish everyone luck in trying out for the team! Lodging will be provided, naturally, and I look forward to all of you representing our school in the best possible way on the national stage. That is all, and have a good rest of your day!"_

The intercom clicked off, leaving an indifferent wake in class 1-A.

"Yeah. Sure. Big deal," Kirishima said with a goofy shrug. "All the science geeks get together to talk about how molecules smash together to make fire in space or whatever. I don't need a white lab coat to know that."

Tsuyu blinked. "No wonder you failed the last test in biology class."

Kirishima whirled around to face her, veins bulging on his face. "How'd you know that, you nosy little...!"

"Toru told me," Tsuyu said. "She peeked at your score and thought it was funny. Ribbit."

"Well it ain't!" Kirishima roared to no one in particular. "What a brat!"

"Gee, I thought you didn't care about science," Jiro teased him.

"Well, I wouldn't mind trying out for the team," Shoji said through one of his appendage's mouths. "It might be fun."

"Fun how?" Sero said with a snort. "It's like a game show, but lame. You don't even win a new car or a vacation to a tropical resort."

"Oh, that would be so wonderful," Mina said with star-struck eyes, hands clasped under her chin. She looked fondly at Denki. "Hey, honey, would you take me to a private beach if you won the science bowl?"

"I sure would, babe. Anything for my girl." Denki grinned and tried to look cool when he leaned back in his chair and struck a pose. Instead, he fell over backwards and sprawled on the floor. "Ouch..."

"You're losing sight of the real purpose here," Tenya Iida said as he helped Denki get up. "It's not about the prizes. It's about learning more in the spirit of competition, and getting along with other schools in an academic setting."

"He's right," Momo said, holding up a finger. "It's about the journey, not the destination."

"Nuh-uh," Mineta said. "I'd rather be on one of those human tetris game shows. Now _that_ would be a good time!"

"Hell yeah!" Sero raised a fist. "I'll go on with you, Mineta. Let's rock!"

Momo hung her head. "Please tell me you guys won't end up on the team and represent us in front of everyone."

"If we win at human tetris, I'll sure as heck show off," Mineta told her.

Momo made a face. "I meant the science bowl team!"

"Or we could go on foreign game shows like The Price is Right or those wilderness survival games," Sero added eagerly.

"Are you guys just trying to annoy me?" Momo sighed.

While everyone debated science bowl versus wilderness survival, Midoriya leaned closer to Ochaco to be heard over that racket. "Hey, Ochaco. I don't need a pocket protector or bow tie to get on that team. I think I'll try out."

Ochaco smiled. "That's so cool. Try your best, Deku!"

Midoriya felt a grin tugging at his lips as he flushed a bit. "H-how'd you like to try out with me?"

Ochaco went pink, too. "Me? Um..."

"You're smart. Why not? We can study together before the tryouts."

"Well..." Ochaco scuffed her feet bashfully on the floor. "I've never done anything like this before..."

"Neither have I."

Ochaco toyed with her pencil case. "Gosh, I don't know. I'm so busy with homework, and..."

"I should mention," Aizawa added over the general chit-chat, "that there's a guide video about the science bowl's location. Everyone on the team will be allowed to stay there overnight, all expense paid. Thank principal Nezu for that."

Everyone finally shut up when Aizawa searched online for the video, and he pulled down a white screen so the digital projector could display it.

 _"The Ridge View Lodge,"_ the voice-over said. _"A dream come true for any tourist visiting the Tohoku region. Placed right in the heart of Akita, this modern hotel has over three hundred rooms and amenities for businessmen, families, tourists, and more..."_

Midoriya sat there in stunned silence as the video showed off the massive indoor bath houses, the fancy rooms, the restaurant and bar (too bad he was too young to drink), a rec area with weights, ping pong tables, and even Dance Dance Revolution! Plus the room service! And noise-proof walls! And this! And that!

By the time Aizawa shut off the video, the class had erupted. "Yeah! Science is the best!" Kirishima hollered. "Let's go, team science!"

"I wanna be an astronaut!" Mineta blurted, waving his arms.

"Me too!" Aoyama put in.

"The science bowl will be in the hotel's ground floor, in the auditorium," Aizawa said flatly. "Tryouts are tomorrow after class lets out. Anyone is free to attend, but the bar is set very high."

"Big deal! I'm doing this for science!" Kirishima cried with his hands cupped over his mouth.

"How about it?" Midoriya asked Ochaco with a sly grin. "Care to study with me?"

Ochaco beamed again and gave two thumbs up just like Denki often did. "Yeah!"

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya's mind was definitely not on his classes as he waited for lunch, when he promised Ochaco that he'd study with her. Who cared about this other stuff? Now was his chance to show off! Probably.

Midoriya didn't even feel hungry when he got his lunch tray and hurried over to the table where Ochaco was already sitting. He sat across from her, almost bouncing up and down in his seat.

"Deku," Ochaco said warmly. "I got this book at the library. Do you think it'll help? I hope it does." She unzipped her backpack and pulled out what looked like the King Kong of science books, and the whole table shuddered when she set it down.

"Uh..." Midoriya stared in shock at that book. "That thing has its own gravity well! Hey, do you think the theory of relativity might come up in the science bowl?"

"Let's hope so!" Ochaco took a bite of her lunch and opened the mammoth book to a random page, using her finger to track down interesting tidbits. Her eyes lit up. "Okay, answer this: how many kilometers away is the Sun from the Earth?"

Midoriya set his jaw as he tried to wrangle with that one. "I think it's... hmmmm... about 15 million kilometers away. Right?"

Ochaco made a bracing smile. "Uh, Deku... if the sun was that close, we'd all burn to a crisp! Not unlike these veggies..." She toyed with the obviously overcooked vegetables on her tray with dismay.

Midoriya winced. "What's the real answer?"

"150 million kilometers. You left out a poor 0."

"Okay, you got me. Try another."

"Sure thing." Ochaco nodded when she found something. "I'm sure you'll get this: The name of a rapid rise of coastal water that accompanies the arrival of a cyclone is...?"

 _Crap. So much for showing off!_ Midoriya took a sip of his drink and summoned all his nerd brainpower. "It's called... a storm tide?"

Ochaco giggled. "So close! It's a storm surge."

Midoriya looked over when he heard approaching footsteps. "And speaking of storms..."

"Deku! New girl!" Bakugo had a fiery aura about him, his teeth sharp as he curled his fingers like claws. "Have you been goofing off all morning? I didn't see you cramming for the science bowl in modern lit class or algebra! You're using _lunch_ to catch up?!"

"Why not?" Midoriya scowled.

Bakugo gestured wildly, ignoring the people who pointed and giggled at him. "We gotta _win_ , Deku! That's why we're gonna get on the team! To crush those stupid other schools who think they're so smart!"

Ochaco looked confused. "B-but Momo and Tenya were saying how the spirit of competition is..."

"No! In it to win it! Eyes on the prize! To the moon or bust! Go for gold!" Bakugo declared. "How many cliches do I need to make my point? I need you both to put your game faces on! See? Another cliche!"

"Kacchan, relax. We'll do fine," Midoriya said. "I swear I'll study at home. You too, right, Ochaco?"

"Mmmm!" Ochaco nodded. "I'll hit the books tonight, Katsuki. Promise."

Bakugo cooled off but he didn't look convinced. "How late are you gonna stay up?"

Midoriya shrugged. "Maybe 11:00 or something. Hard to say."

"What, that's it?"

"Fine, how late are _you_ gonna stay up?" Midoriya put his hands on his hips.

"Check this out." Bakugo opened his school bag to reveal the Red Bull drinks, power bars, stress ball, and exercise headband inside. "This is what dedication looks like, guys. I also made a mixtape of motivational music."

Ochaco giggled. "It sounds more like you're training for a dance competition."

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "Mock me if you want, Ochaco, but let's say I'll be right there when the rooster crows. Ain't no other school that's gonna beat me."

"What about Shiketsu high school?" Midoriya said, suddenly breaking into a cold sweat. "Those guys won the last three science bowls in a row!"

Bakugo's devil aura returned and he put on his headband. "What about it? Streaks are meant to be broken! Let's see them try and stop me!"

"Katsuki Bakugo!" Tenya Iida marched over, his eyes stern behind his glasses. "I cannot have you making a scene in the cafeteria. This is a place for casual dining and chit-chat, not oaths to demolish other schools in trivia! Please do not disrupt the peace here!"

Bakugo cooled off his aura again but kept his headband on. "Fine, whatever. You tryin' out for the team too, Iida?"

"Why, yes!" Iida saluted, glancing up. "I am confident that I can make it. The vice president was kind enough to give me words of encouragement. If she believes in me, then I must be up to the task!"

Ochaco made a sly smile. "Who, Momo? I think she has a thing for you, Tenya."

Iida flinched. "Wh-what?"

Bakugo blinked. "For real?"

Iida started doing his weird gestures again. "Enough nonsense! Please return to your seats and enjoy your lunch at once." He marched off, and like Bakugo, ignored the people mocking him.

Bakugo sighed. "Why is everyone here totally nuts?"

"That's what I wonder sometimes, Kacchan," Midoriya said, eyeing the other boy's unnecessary headband. "Sorry, but if I pull an all-nighter I'll enter zombie mode for sure. Denki once saw it and ran away screaming."

"Did someone say my name?" Denki popped in out of nowhere, his arm around Mina's waist. "I'm tryin' out, too. Science is my game."

Bakugo snorted. "What's Newton's first law of motion?"

"That an object in motion resists the force vectors in acceleration to the, uh... gravity."

Mina glanced at her boyfriend. "Uh, I don't think that was right."

"Mina, what do you call it when a solid transitions directly into a gas?" Midoriya politely challenged her.

Mina gasped and raised her hand. "Oooooh! I know! Super melting!"

Bakugo hung his head. "It's _sublimation._ You guys sure bring down the average IQ around here."

"Whatever, bro." Denki kissed his girlfriend's cheek. "We're gonna get snacks from the vending machine. Want anything?"

"Only one thing." Bakugo clenched both fists. "To crush Shiketsu high school once and for all!"

Denki rolled his eyes. "And _that's_ our cue to leave. C'mon, babe, forget this crowd." He and Mina turned and made a beeline right for the vending machine at the far wall.

Midoriya made a funny face. "He sure talks like a big rock star now that he's with Jiro's mom's band."

"Forget him," Bakugo said. "Remember! You guys only have until tomorrow at 3:30 when class is over. I need you ready for the tryouts no matter what."

"It's okay, we -" Midoriya started when yet another person interrupted.

"Oh, what's this?" a blond boy from class 1-B strode over, a scornful look on his face. "Class 1-A thinks it's entitled to all the glory. That's the biggest science book I ever saw. Trying to show off again?"

Ochaco looked politely confused as she glanced down at her library book. "Well, I think it'll help..."

The boy, whom Midoriya recognized as Neito Monoma, laughed cruelly. "Yeah, I bet it will! Some of my classmates wanted to borrow it, but too bad that's the library's only copy." He made a mocking shrug. "I guess you guys think we're trash compared to you. It's a shame that such arrogance is how our school will represent itself at the science bowl."

Ochaco looked hurt. "H-hey, um, mister...?"

"He's Neito Monoma," Bakugo said with distaste.

Ochaco cleared her throat. "Monoma, I didn't mean to offend you... I mean, I just want to do well..."

"You're new, so I guess I can forgive you," Neito said. "Look: around here, class 1-A is made up of conceited jerks, and everyone else can't stand it. You've got a target on your back, new girl."

Ochaco winced and looked like she was on the verge of tears. Furious, Midoriya bolted to his feet.

"Don't you talk to her like that!" he roared. "Take that back!"

"What for?" Neito retorted. "I'm giving her fair warning."

"Apologize to her right now!"

"Deku, it's okay," Ochaco said softly. "Forget it..."

"Beat it or else, Neito," Bakugo growled. "I don't mind another detention, if you get my drift."

Before anyone could say anything else, Itsuka Kendo showed up and conked Neito on the head with her math book. Neito went dizzy, gurgling vaguely from his throat.

"Sorry about that," Itsuka said. "He's just in a bad mood. I hope you guys do well at tryouts! I'm gonna try out, too."

"Sure," Bakugo grunted. "Just get that worm outta here."

Itsuka gave everyone a bracing smile and guided the loopy Neito away.

"Ochaco, I'm sorry. I should have warned you about him," Midoriya said hastily once he sat down. "Are you all right?"

"I'm okay, Deku." Ochaco smiled. "Thank you, though."

"You've gotta stand up to him," Bakugo told her. "Or he'll never stop giving you crap. Some of those other 1-B punks might go after you, too."

Ochaco shook her head. "I got in trouble at my last school when I stood up to a bully and hit him. My parents didn't like how I got suspended, even though they thought I was right to do something."

Midoriya impulsively reached out and held her hand in both of his. "Ochaco, it's always right to stand up to bad people! I don't want to see you get hurt."

Ochaco looked down at Midoriya's hands and blushed. "D-Deku, I..."

Aoyama, who sat nearby, gave everyone a sly look. "Oh, what's this? Has courtship begun? _Oh la la_!"

"Cram it, dumbass," Bakugo snapped at him. Aoyama merely grinned and returned to his lunch.

"Deku, your hands..." Ochaco said awkwardly.

"Sorry!" Midoriya withdrew his hands.

"Okay, this is getting lame." Bakugo gently shook his school bag in his hands for emphasis. "Get yourselves ready, guys. Don't disappoint me." He turned and stalked off.

Midoriya blushed. "Now you can see how competitive everyone is around here." He was still mentally savoring the feel of Ochaco's warm hand in his...

Ochaco smiled again. "Yeah. It's like an adventure."

"Sure."

Ochaco patted her book. "Time for more studying?"

"Okay. I'll get the questions right this time!"

That was precisely when the end-of-lunch bell decided to ring. Bummer!

"Oops! Time for class." Ochaco grunted as she heaved the gravity well-generating book into her book case, and she stood up with Midoriya. "We have Japanese next, right?"

"Yeah."

"See you there." Ochaco hesitated, then blushed bright red and glanced away. "D-Deku..."

"What?"

"I... thanks for standing up for me. No one's done that before." She fidgeted, acting more... well, more girly than Midoriya had ever seen her.

"Uh -"

"Gotta go!" Ochaco blushed a shade deeper and scampered off.

Midoriya was left standing there, wondering if the high school gods were giving him a blessed opportunity, or if they were just screwing with him. There was no real way to tell.

 _Story of my life._


	10. Chapter 10

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 10: Time to Hit the Books (on your head, if you slack off again!)**

Midoriya was sweating bullets when the tryouts for the science bowl team reached the final few minutes, and boy was the pressure on! Coach Toshinori Yagi had volunteered to act as the host, and while his booming voice was great for asking questions, the classroom seemed to shrink around Midoriya little by little. He was just one of fifty students in here, all using buzzers to ring in and answer the questions rapid fire. Any minute now...!

"Next question!" Coach Yagi drew a card from the thin stack (hundreds of cards lay around him on the floor, which the janitor was bound to disapprove of). "Into what acid is glucose broken down in the first stage of carbohydrate metabolism?"

Shoto Todoroki buzzed in. "Pyruvic acid," he said calmly.

"Yes! Very good, young Todoroki!" Coach Yagi gave the boy a quick salute and flexed his pecs again. "You're on fire today, and not from that quirk of yours!"

 _This would take half the time if he didn't keep throwing in comments like that!_ Midoriya complained in his head. But he dare not disrupt things at this stage. He had answered some solid questions, but there were only eight slots for the team. He'd have to get at least the lowest one, or...!

"Next question! We're almost there, boys and girls!" Coach Yagi read the card. "Resolution of any microscope is ultimately limited by what?"

Momo buzzed in. "The wavelength of the light."

"Yes! Wonderful, young miss Yaoyorozu! I think we might also be thinking along the same wavelength!" Coach Yagi said genially, while Bakugo actually slammed his head on his desk in frustration.

 _We're almost there, Kacchan,_ Midoriya thought. He felt his palms sweating and he fought the urge to take another peek at Ochaco to see if she looked as nervous as he felt. He had to trust her to handle himself. And trust himself to not have a panic attack and fry his brains from pressure.

"Okay! What living creatures is most likely to have evolved from the trilobite?" Coach Yagi asked. "Sound off, kids!"

"Oh!" Kirishima buzzed in. "Is it spiders?"

Coach Yagi's dazzling smile widened. "Are you asking me or telling me, buster?"

"Uh... spiders! Final answer for ten thousand yen!"  
A few people giggled.

Yagi shook his head. "I'm sorry, young Kirishima, but that answer was wrong."

Toru buzzed in. "Oooooh! I think it's sea stars!" she cried.

"What a creative answer, young miss Hagakure!" Yagi boomed. "I like the way you think."

"So was that it?" Toru asked eagerly.

"That answer was..." Yagi drew a breath. "Wrong!"

"Then hurry up and say that!" Bakugo roared. "Damn old man!"

A few students gasped at that, but coach Yagi didn't look bothered. "Why not buzz in and try it, young Bakugo?"

Bakugo nearly snapped his buzzer in half and he bared his teeth. "It's millipedes!" he grated.

"Millipedes... that is the..." Yagi took another breath, then did a dramatic pose. "Absolutely correct answer!"

"Hurry up and move on!" Bakugo snapped. "I gotta get the next one too!"

"Very well. Last question!" Coach Yagi looked over the card. "Drumroll, please!"

There was none.

Coach Yagi shook his head. "Then we'll end this with a whimper... ladies and gentlemen, whose principle or law states that each point on a wavefront may be considered a new wave source?"

This time, Bakugo actually snapped his buzzer in half in his haste to answer, but meanwhile, Tenya Iida was just a millisecond faster, and the class rep actually stood up and saluted coach Yagi. "Coach! It is Huygen's Principle!"

At that, Coach Yagi tossed the card aside and struck yet another pose, and Midoriya could have sworn he saw a shaft of heavenly light shining on the man. "That answer... it stirs my very soul! Oh, young Iida, how magnificent you are!"

 _"WAS IT RIGHT OR WRONG?!"_ everyone cried at once.

Yagi flashed his most dazzling smile yet. "That answer was... CORRECT!" He did a stage bow. "And with that, the tryouts are complete! Allow me to now check the scoreboard!"

He sat down to check the laptop positioned on the desk (all the buzzers were connected to it) and he studied the screen, nodding and going "mmmhmmm" to himself a few times as though contemplating a wine list.

Bakugo, meanwhile, was trying to put his broken buzzer back together. "Uh... does anyone have any super glue?" he asked meekly. "I don't want to have to pay the school back for this hunk of junk."

"I am sorry, Katsuki Bakugo, but I have no super glue to lend you at this time!" Iida recited, bolting to his feet. "Please forgive me!" He bowed.

Momo giggled. "It's okay, Tenya. You don't have to show off. This is Bakugo's own foolish fault."

Bakugo whirled around with his rage face on. "You really wanna do this, rich girl?!" he thundered.

Coach Yagi ignored the antics and instead slowly stood up. "The results... they're in," he said dramatically.

Everyone's gaze fell on him in a dead hush. You could hear a pin drop.

Coach Yagi rapidly pointed at exactly eight students. "Momo Yaoyorozu! Tenya Iida! Shoto Todoroki! Itsuka Kendo! Izuku Midoriya! Mei Hatsume! Katsuki Bakugo! And Ochaco Uraraka! Congratulations... you made the team!"

Bakugo leaped to his feet and threw out both arms. "Whooooooo! Victory! Kiss my ass, Shiketsu high school!"

A few students burst out laughing. "Dude, they're not even here," Kirishima said with a snort. "And all you did was get on the team."

Bakugo clenched a fist and made his usual I'm-gonna-destroy-everyone face. "Yeah... but now that I'm on the team, the entire country will tremble under my fury! That science bowl is as good as won! No question can stand in my way! Shiketsu will rue the day they -!"

Momo bopped him on the head with her pencil case. "I think _I_ will rue the day you make a fool of our high school in front of our peers," she said trying to look lofty and failing. "You're such a pain sometimes, Katsuki."

Bakugo made a shark-like smile (he made it look so easy). "Hey hey, you can't talk down to me, princess! We're on the same team! I earned my spot!"

Midoriya knew just what to do. "Hey, Kacchan, the new issue of _Shonen Jump_ comes out today," he said. "Let's take our bikes over to the manga shop downtown and get some sodas on the ride home."

Bakugo's fiery aura vanished on the spot and he adopted a calm, cool demeanor as he politely coughed into his fist. "Why of course, my friend."

Momo looked stunned. "Teach me how to do that, Izuku, if you don't mind."

"Sorry, Momo." Midoriya grinned as he took hold of Bakugo's shoulders and steered the other boy to the exit with the other students swarming around them. "That's a trade secret."

"I'll pay you ten million yen."

Green yen signs floated around Midoriya as an angelic chorus swelled up. "Now that's an interesting offer -"

"Deku! Let's go!" Bakugo snapped. "I need some fresh air here!"

"Roger that, captain." Midoriya gave Momo a bracing smile over his shoulder as he escorted Bakugo out of the room before the other boy erupted again.

Twenty minutes later, Midoriya was riding his bike with Bakugo to the manga shop on the west side of town when Midoriya realized something. "Hang on, Kacchan," he said, his eyes widening.

"Huh? What?"

"I never congratulated Ochaco for making the team with us," Midoriya groaned. "She worked so hard to study with us, and I didn't give her a 'hey, great job' for it."

"Oh, right." Bakugo coasted down a hill and Midoriya pedaled to catch up. "Look, you'll have plenty of chances to tell her that in the next few days until the science bowl."

"D'you have an idea, Kacchan?"

Bakugo gave him a wide grin. "Clear your schedule, Deku. Until the 10th of this month, you're all mine."

*o*o*o*o*

"Huh? Katsuki?! You said that you were only bringing a few friends!"  
 _Whack!_ Bakugo's mom slapped him on the top of the head with supersonic force when Midoriya and the other science bowl team members stepped into the Bakugo household's living room. Midoriya winced; his own mom would never hurt a fly!

Bakugo rubbed the top of his head. "Yeah, and I did! What are you complaining about?!"

Mrs. Bakugo made a fist, her expression just like her son's. "If I knew you were bringing half the class in here, I would have prepared snacks and tidied up the place a little more!"

"Who cares? We only need the dining room! Jeez!"

"Have a little consideration for once, Katsuki!"

"You're totally overreacting!"

By some miracle of strength, Mrs. Bakugo punted Bakugo clear into the adjacent dining room, then turned to her guests and instantly became a warm and inviting housewife. She made a polite bow. "Welcome. I'm Mitsuki Bakugo. I hope you enjoy your stay, kids."

The crumpled heap known as Katsuki Bakugo complained from the dining room floor. "Mom! Daylight's burning. We have to study for the science bowl and beat stupid Shiketsu high school!"

Mitsuki sighed. "That's all you've been talking about, Katsuki. Shiketsu this, Shiketsu that! When I was your age, I got along with others a little better. That's how I met your father."

"Where is he?" Momo asked politely.

"Upstairs in his study, working on a big project for work," Mitsuki said fondly. She put a hand over her heart. "Bless that man."

"How'd you meet him?" Mei Hatsume asked eagerly. "Is he like Bakugo or totally different?"

"My Masaru is the gentlest soul," Mitsuki said, now with both hands over her heart. "I met him while I interned at the clothing shop where he worked. Some time later, well, we made a household together!"

"That's not how dad tells it," Bakugo-heap grumbled from the floor. "You nagged the crap out of him until he finally went out with you."

Mistuki's fiery aura snapped back into place. "I'm trying to be romantic here, Katsuki! Do you have to ruin everything?!"

"Maybe I do!"

"Uh..." Midoriya stepped forward and motioned with both hands, a nervous smile on his face. "Mrs. Bakugo, sorry there's so many of us, but I promise we'll be quiet. We just want to study for the science bowl, and Bakugo invited us here to work on it."

Mitsuki cooled off again and made another little bow. "Of course, my dear boy. The dining room is all yours. I'll bring tea."

"Thank you!" Ochaco clapped her hands together and smiled. "Let's do this, guys!"

Midoriya scraped Bakugo off the dining room floor, and the eight of them settled in for some serious study time. And Bakugo wasn't kidding about getting serious; he unloaded not one, but four massive encyclopedias, along with science textbooks and even brochures and pamphlets from local museums.

"Okay, it's 3:46," Bakugo said, checking his smart phone's clock feature. "I don't care if you're tired from class today. It's time to absorb every scrap of data into our brains. And to do that..." A wicked grin crossed his face. "We're splitting into pairs, and the winning team gets _this_." He pulled out a wallet and slammed a 1,000 yen note on the table.

Momo blinked. "We're competing for a prize? Katsuki, that's a bit tacky."

"No! It's fun!" Mei dug around in her purse and also slapped down a 1,000 note. "C'mon, guys. Feed the pot."

Feeling kind of silly, Midoriya reluctantly joined in, and now, 8,000 yen beckoned as the prize.

"So. The teams." Bakugo rubbed hands together. "Itsuka, you're with me. Shoto, pair up with Mei. Momo and Iida, you're a team. And Deku, you're with Ochaco."

 _Nice!_ Midoriya caught Ochaco's eye and smiled. He felt himself go pink. "L-let's do our best!" he said awkwardly. Whoa, did Mrs. Bakugo turn up the thermostat to 90? It was hot in here!

"Very well! I shall do all I can to support my team!" Iida barked, snapping into a rigid pose in his seat. "Momo, let us compete with great vigor!"

Momo giggled and hid her mouth behind her hand. "Tenya, it's all right. I just want to study my hardest with you. Partner..."

Midoriya wasn't sure, but it looked like Momo was making a wide smile from behind her hand, and she was definitely fidgeting in her seat.

Iida relaxed and dragged the nearest science book closer. He cleared his throat. "All right, partner. Are you ready?"

"I'm always ready."

"Great." Bakugo flipped to a random page and book a deep breath. "First question: an open-ocean community is also known as a what?"

"I brought tea!" Mrs. Bakugo burst onto the scene, carrying a tray of eight tea mugs.

Bakugo winced. "Mom! Busy here!"

"A 'thank you' would be nice!" Mrs. Bakugo roared, and she set Bakugo's mug down pretty hard in front of him.

"Fine! Thanks!"

Midoriya avoided everyone's eyes and instead took a sip. This tea was pretty good.

"Okay, have a good time, kids!" Mrs. Bakugo was back to friendly as she left the room, waving to everyone.

Bakugo got right back into battle mode. "So! Who's got the answer?"

Iida's hand shot up. "A pelagic community!"

Bakugo nodded. "Got it! One point for Iida-Yaoyorozu team."

"All right!" Momo blushed and clapped a few times.

Iida gave her a sidelong look. "It's just one question."

"Oh, I know." Momo pretended to look lofty as she checked her book for a good quiz question. "Which energy source does not originate from the sun: wind, geothermal, hydroelectric, or ocean thermal energy conversion?"

Shoto casually raised his hand. "Geothermal."

"Very good, Shoto." Momo smiled. "One point for you."

"Our turn, Deku." Ochaco searched her book. "Okay, guys: in Einstein's universe, what is the fourth dimension?"

Itsuka Kendo raised her hand. "I know this one. It's time."

"Yeah." Ochaco beamed. "Good one."

Now the Shoto-Mei team had to offer a question. Shoto searched a book for a question, but Mei took charge and asked one first. "Hey guys, what are the smallest formed elements of human blood?"

Everyone took a second to think this over. Midoriya thought back to biology class, rapidly flipping through everything he'd learned when he wasn't playing Hangman with Bakugo or Denki. Hmmmmmm...

Oh!

Midoriya shot his hand up. "Platelets!"

"Yeah! Go Deku!" Mei clapped. "You're such a smarty-pants."

Bakugo took a sip of tea. "So, one round in, and we're all tied at one point each. Find some harder questions, guys, and we'll see who has the guts to survive!"

Two hours later, though, it was getting hard to tell which team had the most guts, because every team was tied at 86 points each!

"I'm tired," Mei groaned, resting her head in her arms on the table. "Can't we call it a draw?"

"But we're not done," Bakugo told her. "A team's gotta reach the point limit to win. _That's_ when we find out who's the smartest."

Momo raised her eyebrows. "And what is the score limit, may I ask?"

"Five hundred."

Midoriya nearly had a heart attack. "K-Kacchan! We'll be here until breakfast!"

"Grab a Gatorade, buddy." Bakugo flipped through his book. "Let's see..."

"To heck with that." Mei sprang to her feet, all smiles. She rubbed her hands together. "I got a peek at that awesome home entertainment system you've got, Bakugo. Can we have a party and watch a nice movie? Can we? Please?"

Bakugo blinked. "Uh... what?"

"That sounds wonderful." Ochaco beamed and got to her feet too, pushing her chair back into place. "Bakugo, can we get some snacks?"

"But...!" Bakugo looked like he had a lemon crammed down his throat.

Midoriya got up and patted Bakugo's back. "C'mon, Kacchan, we did a great job. Let's kick back. We earned it."

Bakugo muttered a few incomprehensible things before he finally sighed and nodded. "You punks aren't gonna keep playing anyway. Fine. Take your cash back, and I'll ask my mom if you can stay a bit more."

He took a deep breath. "MOM! CAN MY FRIENDS STAY OVER SOME MORE?"

It took Mrs. Bakugo just a split second to respond. "WHY? IS SOMETHING WRONG?"

"THEY WANNA HAVE A PARTY IN THE LIVING ROOM!"

"EXCUSE ME?"

"PLEASE? UNTIL LIKE NINE O'CLOCK OR SOMETHING?"

"FINE! BUT NOT ONE SECOND LATER! I HAVE AN EARLY MORNING TOMORROW AND I NEED PEACE AND QUIET!"

"OKAY! THANKS!"

Bakugo powered down his industrial-strength vocal cords. "Fine, let's have that party..."

He clearly wanted to study like a champ, but heck, it was seven on one, and not even Katsuki Bakugo could handle those odds. So, Midoriya settled on one of the two leather couches with Momo and Ochaco without even realizing what he was doing.

Midoriya felt himself go totally red. Here he was, sandwiched between two beautiful girls, one of whom was the neighbor girl of his dreams, right here in the comfort of the Bakugo household! He tried not to break into a nervous sweat.

Ochaco made a sympathetic noise. "Deku, you're so warm and clammy. Are you getting a cold?"  
"N-no! I'm fine! I swear!"

Meanwhile, Bakugo brought over a bunch of random snacks from the kitchen and Mei ransacked his DVD collection. "Hey, why not this one?" She held up a horror movie's case.

Momo squeaked. "No! Horror movies ruin my beauty sleep."

Mei grinned wickedly. "Is someone a little scaredy-cat?"

"Just pick something else!"

Mei tried out a few more DVD titles that all got rejected, until finally Itsuka Kendo, ever the helpful big sister type, got up and found a simple rom-com movie that no one could possibly dislike. She powered on the DVD player and TV, and once Bakugo brought over a few blankets (how weirdly thoughtful), everyone settled in.

Midoriya had his eyes on the screen when he felt something soft cover his lap. He looked down and saw Ochaco draping a big, checkered blanket across their laps, and Ochaco reclined as she brought the blanket up to her neck. "This is kinda cozy, Deku," she said, her cheeks going pink as she smiled.

"Y-yeah! Very! Thank you! This is very comfort! I mean, feel good! Blanket!" Midoriya felt like he'd stuck a fork in the wall socket as his panicking brain fired off whatever relevant phrases it could think of.

Ochaco giggled. "I've seen this movie before. Watch this next scene closely, Deku. In the back, you can see..."

Ochaco made a few comments as the movie played, and Midoriya barely noticed what he was eating or what anyone else was doing as he tried to think of some cool, manly thing to say or do. This was like a movie theater, right? He was sitting next to the best girl ever in a darkened room while a lovey-dovey movie played, and this evening was bursting with opportunities! Did he dare take one?

Maybe not. Midoriya felt frozen with excited indecision as the movie neared its end (Shoto looked incredibly bored, while Momo and Mei were enraptured and Iida made a few approving comments about "the sublime camera work and dramatic angles."). It was a total bummer when the movie was over and Bakugo hit the lights.

"Whew. It's 8:58," he said, checking the wall clock. "Better run, guys. Or you'll find out why everyone in this neighborhood calls my mom The Gorgon."

"She's the nicest person I ever met," Momo said indignantly as she stood up and stretched. "You're just a brat."

"Am not!" Bakugo erupted.

Momo actually took Iida's hand in hers as she led him to the front door. "Thank you for having us, Katsuki," she said over her shoulder with a wide smile. "See you all at school tomorrow..."

Iida looked flustered but didn't say a thing as Momo led him outside, his hand clasped firmly in hers.

"8:59. Last chance, guys," Bakugo said. "Run!"

Shoto, Itsuka, and Mei got up and thanked Bakugo for having them over, and they also left. Which left...

"Ochaco, we should leave... oh." Midoriya wondered what that weight on his lap was. He had felt something warm and heavy settle on his lap during the movie, but he figured that Bakugo owned a cat, and it had sat down on his lap.

Nope. Ochaco lay across his lap, fast asleep.

 _N-no way...!_

Bakugo grinned. "Damn, Deku, you already got more action than I did on my date with her."

"K-Kacchan! Don't be crude!"

"Sure thing, love maestro. I'm sure guys will show yourselves out..." Bakugo wandered off and went upstairs. At once, his mom's voice rang out.

"KATSUKI! DID YOUR FRIENDS LEAVE YET?"  
"THEY JUST LEFT! DAMN NAG!"

"DON'T YOU TALK TO ME LIKE THAT!"

"YOU'RE THE ONE WHO STARTED YELLING FIRST!"

Ochaco blinked awake and rubbed her eyes. "Deku, I..." She realized her position and let out an embarrassed squeak. She sprang to her feet, her face red. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean... was that too forward of me? I just got so tired...!"  
"It's totally fine." Deku smiled as he got up. "C'mon, I'll walk you home. It's dark out."

Ochaco nodded, clearly flustered. "Oh. Sure."

They didn't say a word as Midoriya escorted Ochaco to her house, but the whole way there, he found himself relaxed, and in fact he wished this evening would never end. He breathed the cool, slightly damp October air as he passed under a street lamp. This felt like a scene from that rom-com he just watched, but this was a million times better.

"Okay, um... this is my house." Ochaco pointed at her house as she walked up the front steps. "B-but you knew that, right? I mean, we live right next door! There's your house, too." She pointed at it.

"Yeah. Home sweet home." Midoriya scratched the back of his head, his mind racing for something cool to say. He came up empty. Darn it!

Ochaco went a shade redder and hurried to her porch, waving. "G-good night, Deku! See you at school!"

"See you!" Midoriya waited until Ochaco went inside before he wandered over to his own porch. He blinked when he recognized a certain face watching him from between the window curtains, so he was ready when he stepped into the living room.

Inko was all smiles. "You walked the Uraraka girl home? That's my boy! And I thought chivalry was gone."

Midoriya nearly hit the ceiling. "Mom! I was just being nice!"

"You can't fool me, Izuku." Inko made a sly face as she waved a finger. "A mother knows just what her boy is thinking. I'm so happy for you."

"I'm not here!" Midoriya fell back on his default phrase as he raced to his bedroom and hastily shut the door. He leaned against the door and gently slid to the floor in a seated position, sighing slowly. He was really walking a tightrope here, and he did _not_ need more distractions!

Still, it least Inko was on his side, even if she was super nosy about it...


	11. Chapter 11

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 11: The Big Day of the Race (don't break a leg! Really, don't!)**

Midoriya, Bakugo, and the others were so wrapped up with studying/abusing their brains for the science bowl the next day, the 10th Annual Charity Youth Bicycle Race caught them by total surprise! Where did _that_ come from? To be fair, though, Inko had marked today in big red circles on the calendar, and Midoriya simply had tunnel vision where the science bowl was concerned. But heck, he needed a break to get some fresh air...

"We're almost late, Izuku," Inko said nervously as she and her son finally arrived at the starting area for the big race. She nervously toyed with her handbag. "I thought you were looking forward to this, honey."

Midoriya gave his mom a bracing smile as he waved hello to his friends. "I am! I just kinda... forgot."

"Forgot about your favorite time of year?"

"Well..." Midoriya was spared making up some silly excuse when Bakugo and Mina joined him from the chattering, excited crowd on this sunny afternoon.

"Deku! Where you been, man?" Bakugo asked. Like the others, he had his racing outfit on, a black and orange patterned outfit with green accent marks.

"We were almost ready to start without you!" Mina added, pouting. "Don't scare me like that, Izuku."

Midoriya shrugged. "Sorry, guys. I was just cramming for the science bowl. Like I'm sure you guys were until the last minute..."

Bakugo grinned widely. "Who, me? I packed my brain to maximum capacity, Deku. Ready as I'll ever be." He pounded an open palm with his fist. "Now I gotta place first in this race, too. Quirks or not, I'm gonna win."

Mina gave him a sly smile. "Oh, I don't think so, Bakugo. You beat me last time, but I have a few tricks ready."

Bakugo scowled. "If you even think about throwing acid on my tires -"

"Racers, are you ready?" announced coach Yagi, who, every year, volunteered to host the charity bike race. That guy was everywhere! "Get into positions, please, and we'll begin in just a moment!"

Inko wrapped her arms tightly around Midoriya. "Izuku, please be safe out there! Don't do anything reckless!"

"As long as Bakugo cooperates with me," Midoriya joked. "I'll be fine, mom. I had a good breakfast." Which was true. Yum!

Midoriya strapped on his helmet and stepped into the open street with the other racers at the starting line, admiring the very fancy banners that Momo and Iida had made for this event (without even having to be asked). Dozens of other high schoolers were also getting ready, some of them from Midoriya's high school, others from schools across the prefecture. He thought he recognized a few of them, and when he saw a certain colorful woman in the crowds, he knew it for sure: Ketsubutsu high school was here just like last year, and Midoriya was sure that they intended to win!

Now Midoriya was getting some of Bakugo's competitive spirit, and he gripped his bike's handlebars tightly. So, he was going head to head with other schools twice in a row? Bring it on!

"Before we begin, let us have a word from our wonderful sponsor, young miss Mei Hatsume!" coach Yagi announced into his megaphone. He handed it over to Midoriya's classmate.

"Good mooooorning, everyone!" Mei cheered, and she got an appreciable golf clap from the assembled audience of parents and neighbors. "I've got a special announcement to make: today's racers are all gonna ride with the finest bicycle gear in all of Japan! My newest, lab-built babies will show you the hight of bicycling, and all right before your very eyes! That's right, every bicycle here today was modified by hand, one by one! I worked hard! I hope you like the results!"

Bakugo recoiled and whipped his head around to face Mei. "What the hell, gearhead!" he roared. "You messed with my bike? When?!"

"Last night, while everyone was asleep," Mei told him through the megaphone. "You can keep my new babies as payment, okay? It's a bargain!"

Bakugo was losing his mind. "No one messes with my stuff without permission!"

"Hey, me too!" one of the Ketsubutsu students yelped. "You missed with my bike? When did _that_ happen? I don't even live here!"

"I took the late train," Mei told him casually.

Midoriya hung his head. That girl would go to any length, wouldn't she?  
Meanwhile, Midoriya spotted Mr. Aizawa in the crowd, who attended the race more out of obligation than anything, and he looked distinctly annoyed as the present Ketsubutsu teacher, Ms. Joke, kept cozying up to him. Midoriya could have sworn he saw hearts floating up around her. Come to think of it, she was doing this last year, too...

Coach Yagi gently took back the megaphone and raised a fist. "Riders! Are you ready?!" the well-muscled man cried. "And remember, no matter who wins, I want you all to be proud of yourselves do your best today! _Plus ultra_!"

About half the racers repeated the rallying cry, which was apparently good enough, because coach Yagi brought down his fist in a sharp arc and cried, "BEGIN!"

The crowd applauded as the racers took off. Midoriya did was he always did in races: kept calm, and assessed every little thing. Living with no quirk meant studying and preparing for everything, and in events where quirks weren't allowed, boy did it come in handy. Midoriya knew better than to burn up all his energy getting in the lead right away, but he wanted to build up some serious momentum and stay in the thinner parts of the pack so he'd have room to maneuver. And given the layout of the race, he'd go through most of his usual touring spots, like Bad Dog Park and Bottle Bridge, and Funny Duck Road (where Denki swore he once saw a drunk duck walking around and quacking his name).

 _Nice and easy... keep it steady..._ Midoriya was feeling pretty good about his pacing as he kept in the upper third of the pack while approaching Bad Dog Park, but one of the Ketsubutsu students soon overtook him, a blonde girl with pointy teeth.

"Too slow, buster!" the girl teased him over her shoulder. "Sorry!"

"Not so fast, Tatami," one of the other Ketsubutsu students said as he gained on her, his legs pumping hard. "I've been practicing since last time."

"Well, so have I, Yo," the girl, Tatami, told him just as he started to overtake her. She shifted to another gear and easily retook the lead as the racers entered Bad Dog Park, and a few birds burst into flight form a nearby tree, startled by the shouting.

 _This isn't good,_ Midoriya realized as he was falling behind. He didn't want to spend too much energy too soon, but it was costing him; he was drifting close to the back of the pack, and here, a few students from 1-B were trying to keep up, including Yosetsu Awase and Itsuka Kendo.

"Better move it, Midoriya," Yosetsu said with an encouraging grin he he raced past the park's central pond. "Didn't you place third last time?"

"Y-yeah, but I think... I got lucky," Midoriya panted. What was going on here? He totally wasn't at his best! Crap, did his magic athlete breakfast turn out to be a dud? He got the recipe online, but you couldn't believe everything you read online... or maybe it was mental?

Meanwhile, there were bigger issues going on.

"I'm fine, Denki!" Mina snapped, clearly annoyed as she and Denki brought up the rear of the pack. "You don't have to keep asking me!"

"What's wrong with that?" Denki retorted. "It's just a question!"

"Humph! Very funny!" Mina made a pouty face as she shifted to a higher gear and pulled ahead.

"Yeah, real classy, showing off!" Denki hollered. Mina didn't respond.

Midoriya wanted to win, but darn it, he wasn't one to abandon a friend. He slowed down and kept pace with Denki. "You guys are fighting?" he panted.

Denki made a frustrated noise. "I don't know what's gotten into her, Deku. Things were great until a few days ago, but..." He wiped his brow and panted to catch his breath. "She stopped texting me back and kinda started ignoring me!"

"What? But you guys are so annoyingly PDA around each other..." Midoriya realized, though, that he hadn't seen any of that in the last few days. What in the world?

"Look, let's just finish the race," Denki said. He started to pull ahead. "Good luck with the science bowl this weekend. But for now, I'm gonna crush you!"

Midoriya grinned. "Come and get me." He sped up and overtook Denki just as the boys raced out of Bad Dog Park and down Pineapple Street, close to the manga shop and a computer repair store. This was one of Midoriya's favorite places in town, but today, it seemed to be cursing him, because he was still slowing down, and Denki overtook him again, leaving Midoriya in last place.

 _Plus... ultra!_

Kind of. Midoriya took a few drinks from his water bottle and paced himself so he'd have energy to catch up later, but nothing was working! Why?! The race was three laps, and by the time he crossed the finish line for the second lap, he was solidly in last place, and he caught a glimpse of Inko's worried face as he zoomed past. That, and a good look at Aizawa literally holding back Ms. Joke at arm's length, a super annoyed look on his face.

Midoriya didn't have much energy to spare for brainpower as he powered through the second lap, trying to overtake Denki, Mina, or Yosetsu as he approached Bad Dog Park again. He fought his way back up to the middle of the pack as he started lap three, but even seeing Himiko Toga jumping up and down in the crowd and waving her arms to cheer him on didn't seem to work. He slipped behind again and stayed in last until he finally hobbled across the finish line after the final lap, gasping for breath and sweating head to toe. It was a mild October afternoon, but his muscles were burning.

"And we have a winner!" coach Yagi announced. "Congratulations to Yo Shindo of Ketsubutsu high school! You've done your classmates proud today, my boy! Plus ultra!"

"Plus... whoa, I'm exhausted," the boy panted as he stepped off his bike, raising a trembling fist as the crowds applauded his victory. The other racers were also getting off their bikes as they arrived, a few of them actually laying down on the street to rest.

"And in second place we have Katsuki Bakugo!" coach Yagi added. "Congratulations, my boy!"

"Whatever! First or bust!" Bakugo cried, waving his fists. "Only winners survive!"

"It's not life and death, pal," Yo said cheerily as he clapped a hand on Bakugo's shoulder. "You did great."

"Great for second place," Bakugo complained. "When I see you at the science bowl, you're going down!"

Yo still looked cheerful. "Win or lose, I'm looking forward to this weekend. That hotel is awesome. I stayed there once."

Bakugo looked too shocked to keep being angry. "Wait, you did? When?"

"When I was two." Yo laughed. "I don't remember it. so it'll be like going there for the first time again!"

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "You're so dumb."

"And in third place!" coach Yagi announced. "We have Yosetsu Awase! Well done, my boy!"

Yosetsu, who still wore his trademark headband under his helmet, raised both fists and allowed everyone to applaud him. "Thank you," he said. "I could not have done this without the love and support of my parents. I love you guys."

The crowd applauded even harder at that.

"He's a much nicer guy than people realize," Itsuka Kendo told Midoriya, beaming. "If only he'd open up a bit more. He's not very talkative."

"Oh yeah?" Midoriya wiped his brow.

"Yeah. Maybe it's because..." Itsuka giggled. "He's also a bit kinky. He likes to draw girls getting tied up and tickled. He's shown me his drawings."

Midoriya gawked. "That's, uh... what?"

"Keep it a secret, okay?"

"S... sure?" Midoriya had no idea what to say to that, instead watching Itsuka walk toward the crowd to hug her adoring parents. Some people...

Meanwhile, once Midoriya joined the crowd, Himoko Toga threw her arms around Midoriya and held him tight. "Darling! You were awesome! You looked so manly, working so hard..."

Midoriya nervously patted Toga's head, wondering what Ochaco would think if she saw this. "Th-thanks, Toga."

"It's Himiko to you, darling."

"Thanks, Himiko."

No sooner did Toga finally let him go did Inko wrap her son in a hug twice as tight and five times more passionate. "I-Izuku!" she sobbed. "I thought you were going to collapse! I was about to call the paramedics!"

"I'm not gonna die, mom!" Izuku _really_ wondered what Ochaco would think of this! He hastily scanned the crowed to find her, but his lovely neighbor was nowhere to be seen. He did see Bakugo and Mitsuki arguing in each other's faces, and he saw Momo using a rag to wipe the sweat off Iida's forehead (whoa), but no Ochaco.

Midoriya's eyes widened. That was it! Where was Ochaco? She could have come here to race, but she never answered Midoriya's phone call when he invited her yesterday, and he hadn't heard from her since. She wasn't even here to cheer him on... no wonder he'd been limp and weak like week-old spaghetti! Okay, that was a gross metaphor... but still...

"Hey, great job, guys," Midoriya said, still a bit out of breath as he high-fived his various classmates (Bakugo was very reluctant to return the favor). But when he found Denki and Mina, they were facing away from each other, apparently being careful not to talk or look at each other.

"Great job, both of you," Midoriya said as he offered high fives to each. They each gave him a modest high five while still not looking at each other.

"Hey, are you guys okay?" Midoriya added. "What's the matter? I mean, it's just a race..."

Mina folded her arms and looked sour. "Why don't you ask Denki? But he'll never tell you anything."

"Nothing's wrong! Sheesh!" Denki cried. He gave off little zaps from his hair.

"Hey, no quirks on the race track," a student from Ketsubutsu told him.

"Whatever, man." Denki rolled his eyes not unlike Bakugo.

Midoriya stared. This race was getting weirder and weirder! First Ochaco vanishes, now the love-struck Denki/Mina team is on the rocks? He opened his mouth to insist that they explain when Midoriya's school's fight song blasted in the air way too loud.

 _What the...!_ Like everyone else, Midoriya clapped his hands over his ears and saw that coach Yagi had brought over a massive boom box and had pressed PLAY, but he'd neglected to mind the volume! Aizawa hurried over and slapped a hand on the PAUSE button.

"Well, that's enough of that," Aizawa mumbled into the megaphone. "Please remember to donate for a good cause, everyone, and enjoy the concessions. And congrats to all the racers on their performance today." He shoved the megaphone into coach Yagi's chest and stalked away. Ms. Joke took her chance to hound after him, more hearts floating around her.

Midoriya turned back to see that Mina was already stalking off too, to join her parents in the crowd while Denki was walking his bike away, in the direction of his house. The other racers were scattering, too, but Bakugo made sure to gather the science bowl team first. His passion for the race was replaced with his passion for the looming science bowl.

"Put your hands here!" Bakugo barked, and he offered his own hand at chest level. Once Midoriya, Mei, Momo, Iida, Shoto, and Itsuka all lay their hands together, Bakugo added, "at the science bowl, we're gonna win!"

"We're gonna win!" Midoriya repeated with everyone else.

"We're gonna be number one!" Bakugo roared.

"We're gonna be number one!"

"We're gonna send them to hell!"

Momo made a face. "I am _not_ saying that, Katsuki."

"Katsuki Bakugo! Please have a sense of good sportsmanship!" Iida barked, once again doing his funny hand motions. "I will not have immature people on my team!"

"Fine! Let's get along like super happy friends!" Bakugo shouted sarcastically, and Midoriya fought back a wide grin as he repeated that line with everyone else. They all raised their hands and cheered.

Itsuka looked concerned as she lowered her arm. "Wait, has anyone seen Ochaco today? I hope she'll be on time for the bus to the hotel tomorrow..."

"I have not seen her today, either. I am sorry," Iida said, making a stiff bow. "If I see her, I will report back! This I promise!"

Momo giggled. "You're so passionate, Tenya."

"Thank you, Momo!"

Momo blushed.

 _Okay, that's enough of that,_ Midoriya thought, and he joined his mom and started walking his bike home. Good grief, what a day! He wanted to clear his head with some fresh air, but somehow, things were even more complicated now! Why were Denki and Mina fighting? Would Ketsubutsu high school beat Midoriya's high school as easily as it won the bike race today? And where was Ochaco?!

Well, Midoriya could do something about that last one...

"Hey mom, I just need a second," Izuku said as he and Inko arrived at their house's front lawn. He propped up his bike on its kickstand and jogged onto the front porch of the Uraraka home. He rang the doorbell.

It took just a few seconds for Mr. Uraraka to swing the door open. "Izuku! Good evening, my boy," he said genially. "How are you?"

"Great," Midoriya said automatically. He felt himself flush and he clasped his hands behind his back to steady himself. "Look, uh... I haven't seen Ochaco at school for a couple of days. Is everything okay?"

Mr. Uraraka made a sympathetic noise. "I'm sorry, Izuku, but Ochaco won't be able to attend the science bowl tomorrow. She caught a really bad cold."

Midoriya's heart sank. "She what?"

"My Ochaco needs to rest," Mr. Uraraka said gently. "She's upstairs in her room. I'd rather not have anyone disturb her." He brightened. "But if I get a chance, I'll tell her you came by because you so worried. I'm sure she'll be happy to hear that!"

"Y... yeah. Sure. Sorry to bother you." Midoriya felt stiff and cold like a zombie as he turned and marched back to his bike and walked it into the garage.

"What's wrong?" Inko asked.

"O..." Midoriya swallowed. "Ochaco caught a bad cold. She can't go to the science bowl with us tomorrow."

Inko made the same sympathetic noise that Mr. Uraraka did. "That's awful, Izuku. Wasn't she looking forward to it?"  
Midoriya made a dramatic sigh as he propped up his bike against the wall. "Yeah. And so was I..."


	12. Chapter 12

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 12: Welcome to the Ridge View Lodge (and mind your manners!)**

Midoriya was still pouting in a corner when his high school's science bowl team boarded the fancy, cozy bus that pulled up at the school grounds that afternoon once class let out (Aizawa and coach Yagi chaperoned them), and while the other seven team members studied and quizzed each other, watched a cool movie on the overhead screens, had a few snacks (complimentary ones), or just chatted to unwind, Midoriya still sat apart from the others, surrounded by a general purple cloud of moody, angsty upset-ness (was that even a word?).

"Izuku, you should be more sociable," Momo said bracingly as the bus entered the Tohoku region, which was lovely this time of year. "We're playing Uno. How'd you like to join us and take your mind off things?"

Midoriya sat with his face tucked into his legs on the seat and added another bit to his moody cloud. "No thanks, Momo."

"Eh, leave him," Bakugo said dismissively. "I know him. He ain't gonna budge."

Itsuka Kendo made a sympathetic noise as she made her play in Uno. "I'm sorry your friend couldn't join us, Izuku, but the team has to make do. You'll see Ochaco when we get back, I'm sure."

Midoriya made a grumpy noise that not even Aizawa on bad day could dream up.

Bakugo laughed dryly. "Oh, I know that sound. Forget it, Kendo. I ain't seen Deku this upset since the time he dropped his ice cream cone _and_ had his favorite TV show cancelled on the same day."

Itsuka made the same sympathetic noise. "I'm sorry to hear that, Izuku. You must have been so young..."

"It was last year!" Midoriya snapped, trying not to go red. Oh, what a lamentable day that had been...!

He'd also failed a math test on that day, but mercifully, Bakugo hadn't mentioned that. There was only so much salt Kacchan was willing to pour on a wound. He was merciful that way.

What low standards in friends Midoriya sometimes had...

Iida cleared his throat. "Please take heart, Izuku Midoriya! We seven shall take up the slack and perform most admirably at the science bowl! Hooray for team Yaoyorozu!"

Momo giggled. "You're so nice to name the team after me."

Bakugo exploded. Literally, that is, since he accidentally set off his quirk in anger and scattered Uno cards all over the bus. "What! I'm the glue holding this team together _and_ I studied the most! Either it's team Bakugo, or I'm turning this bus around!"

"No you're not," Aizawa muttered from his own seat near the driver.

Midoriya snorted. Good old Kacchan...

"This bus _would_ turn around better if it installed one of my new babies," Mei added excitedly as she helped Iida collect the scattered, burnt cards. "I tinkered with a new model of bus axles that could turn this box around on a dime!"

"No way. You're making that up," Bakugo snorted.

"No, I'm trying to expand into commercial transport," Mei said as she picked up the last of the Uno cards and dumped them on Bakugo's lap. "It's lucrative."

Midoriya groaned and sank deeper into his knees. Mei was such a great entrepreneur, but he had no idea what to do with his future... he'd been totally lost at that stupid job fair...

Now a proper rain cloud formed over Midoriya's head and started raining. _That_ wasn't in today's weather forecast...

"Crap. We're losing him," Bakugo said. He vaulted right over Iida's lap and landed by Midoriya, gently shaking the other boy's shoulders. "C'mon, Deku, I'll buy you an ice cream on the way back."

Midoriya grunted.

"I'll buy you a new PSP game."

"I sold my PSP last week. It was getting glitchy."

"I'll... uh... let you cheat off my papers for the finals this semester."

Midoriya perked up. "Really?"  
"I think not!" Iida bolted to his feet and did his funny arm motions again. "Teacher Aizawa! Katsuki Bakugo is plotting to cheat! I heard it with my own ears, I swear on my grandmother's grave!"

Aizawa snorted. "Everyone sit down already and be quiet. I'm getting a headache..."

"Well, not me!" Coach Yagi sprang to his feet and puffed out his well-defined chest, nearly filling the entire bus with pectoral muscles. "I say buck up, young Midoriya! So Ochaco Uraraka fell ill. I am sorry that the girl of your dreams is absent! But lo, for she shall await your return upon the school fair!"

Midoriya's mind went in two different directions, and he went bright red as he covered his face. "Wh-what... how did... know that... poetry?... maidens?... stop it!... that's a secret!"

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "I'll do the talking, dumbass Deku." He pointed at coach Yagi. "Are you mocking my buddy Deku? Only I have the right to do that!"

"The _right_?" Midoriya repeated skeptically.

Coach Yagi's dazzling smile widened. "It was so clear during the tryouts, young Bakugo! Young Midoriya had a girl to impress, and he stole many glances at her! And how he uncharacteristically tried out for the prestigious soccer team right after she transferred to our school!"

Shoto Todoroki's eyes widened. "I'll be darned. He has brains after all..."

Coach Yagi struck a pose like a beach model and widened his smile even further (somehow). "Oh, how my heart is moved by young passion! _Plus! Ultra!"_

He jabbed out his fists in two different directions without looking and nearly knocked Aizawa's head off.

"Okay, buster, time to cool it!" Aizawa barked, rising to his feet. His weird ribbon-things extended and wrapped themselves around coach Yagi, forcing the bigger man to sit down. Coach Yagi allowed himself to be settled down in good humor, and finally learned to shut up until the bus rumbled into Akita and pulled up in front of the Ridge View Lodge.

"Ooooooh, we're here! We're here!" Momo cried happily, bouncing up and down in her seat. "Can we get off? Can we?"

Aizawa casually got up and slouched off the bus. "Follow me, science team."

Midoriya slouched off the bus just like Aizawa did, but he perked up like he got a shot in the arm when he realized where he was standing.

This place... his mom would have to empty her bank accounts to stay here overnight. Or at least it looked that way! The hotel was huge and busy, curving gently inwards to make a softer and more organic look, and it must have been fifteen stories high, complete with a bunch of glass doors for its entrance lobby and beautiful blossom and fruit trees in its front grounds. Lots of buses, taxis, and cars were coming and going, including a number of tourists looking for a place to stay on their trip.

Not to mention the students from the other schools, and Midoriya's rival-detector went off once he spotted a few students with a familiar school uniform.

Shiketsu high!  
"So there they are," Bakugo said, cracking his knuckles as the group headed for the front doors. He had his fiery demon aura up. "Oh, they're going down this year, oh yes they are... plus ultra right in their _faces_!"

"Plus ultra? I like the sound of that! It's passionate!"

Bakugo blinked. "What the..."

One of the Shiketsu students broke from the rest and jogged over to Midoriya's group, an intense look on his face. He did a polite but hasty bow. "Good evening, everyone! I am Inasa Yoarashi, captain of the Shiketsu high science bowl team! Please call me Inasa! It's so incredible to meet you all!" He repeated his bow for everyone in Midoriya's group, and he actually kissed the girls' hands one by one like some cheesy European prince! What?!

"Oooooh, he's an old-fashioned one," Momo said with a bashful giggle.

Tenya Iida, meanwhile, went red and stiffened his back. His glasses' panes glinted. "Mr. Inasa Yoarashi!"

"Yes! That is me!" Inasa whirled around and bowed at Iida. "I am so glad you remember my name! Clearly, you have passion for this rivalry!"

Inasa was talking way too loudly, but Iida managed to raise his voice even more. "Have some restraint, Mr. Yoarashi! Kissing Momo's hand? What do you think this is?!"

"A science bowl! One that I intend to win!" Inasa raised both fists.

"Well, I insist that you keep your body parts to yourself!" Iida barked, going red in the face. "M-Momo, she's a shy maiden! How can you -"

Momo made an annoyed face as she covered Iida's mouth (thank goodness). "It's _fine_ , Tenya. He's just being nice."

"Yes, I am!" Inasa roared happily. "But if it bothers your teammate, miss Yaoyorozu, I apologize! Here!" He bowed so hard he whacked his head on the ground. He seemed to feel no pain.

Momo sighed. "What bothers me is I didn't bring any earplugs..."

"Yoo hoo! Inasa!" One of the other Shiketsu students, a curvy girl with wavy brown hair, waved to him. "We've gotta hurry and get to our rooms. Our teacher's waiting for us."

Inasa whirled around and marched toward her. "I do humbly apologize for holding us up, Camie! For punishment, I will do thirty push-ups in the hotel room while you sit on my back!"

Shoto made a sour face as he watched the Shiketsu students crowded into the hotel ahead of his own group. "To think I'll be sharing a hotel with them..."

"They ain't gonna be so carefree when we clobber them," Bakugo growled as the team approached the front doors. "Plus ultra, chumps. It's time to _win_!"

Itsuka Kendo slapped a hand over her face. "Five minutes in and this turned into a total circus."

Midoriya patted her back. "It's okay, Itsuka. I know how to settle Kacchan down. I won't let him keep anyone up tonight."

"Who said anything about sleep?" Bakugo dug out his exercise sweatband from his bag and put it on. "We're crammin' 'till the morning sun! Forget the hotel's fancy crap! We're hitting those books until... until..."

Bakugo's macho words died in his throat as the group beheld the Ridge View Lodge's interior.

 _This place is huge!_ Midoriya was already thinking of Himeji Castle, Grand Central Station, and Buckingham Palace as his wide eyes scoped out the fancy, modern interior. But even with the shiny brass handrails, soft lighting, and marble walls, there were comforting Japanese aesthetics in here, like the antique wall scrolls mounted at regular intervals, the classic-style fountains at he corners, and gentle folk music playing quietly on speakers overhead. Even with all the tourists and businessmen bustling around, this place instantly had a calming effect. Unreal!

And then there were the features, like the many elevators, the bellhops and their carts, the fancy hotel bar, a massage and spa area, signs pointing to the bath houses, the massive restaurant, and even a small arcade.

Midoriya felt a wide grin tug at his lips and he totally forgot his grumpy rain cloud. _I could live in here!_

And then he saw a familiar face. Several, actually.

"Izuku! There you are!" Inko Midoriya was one of many parents who suddenly stepped out of the hotel bar to smother their beloved kids. She wrapped him in a tight hug. "I've been waiting! Did the bus get a flat tire?"

"I think you just got impatient," Midoriya joked. "Hi, mom."

"Son," Mr. Todoroki said in his deep voice as he towered over Shoto. "I expect good results at the science bowl tomorrow. I will be watching."

"I'm sure you will," Shoto said sourly.

"Now, that's no way to talk to him!" Clearly, Mitsuki Bakugo had had a few drinks as she attempted to drape her arm across Mr. Todoriki's shoulders (he was much taller than her). "Lighten up. This is gonna be fun!"

"Fun when I _win_ ," Bakugo said doggedly. "Second place ain't worth shi -"

Mitsuki slapped her son on the top of his head. "Language, Katsuki!" she barked. "Damn, what's the matter with you?"

"Speak for yourself!" Bakugo snapped. "What the hell!"

"You're both doing it..." a man who could only be Bakugo's dad said timidly. No one seemed to hear him.

"Okay, that's enough," Aizawa said, wisely stepping in. "Kids, you can have a little free time with your parents when you get settled into your rooms. Follow me into the elevator."

"Wait... are they staying here overnight?" Midoriya blurted.

"Yes, for half the normal cost," Aizawa said. "Principal Nezu worked hard to negotiate all the details. Be sure to thank him."

Inko beamed. "This will be so cozy, Izuku. I've never stayed somewhere this nice before!"

 _I have the best teachers ever._ Midoriya finally felt like things would turn out all right. Sure enough, he'd have plenty of cool stories to share with Ochaco when he got back.

"Sure thing." Midoriya waved good-bye to his mom and joined Mr. Aizawa in the elevator.

"Curfew is 10:00 PM," Aizawa said as the elevator closed. "And here are the rules for staying at the hotel. Don't abuse this privilege..."

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya and the others barely had time to set up their stuff in their stellar, plus-size hotel rooms (one for the boys, one for the girls) when they were called back downstairs to the hotel's restaurant, where everybody's parents simply _insisted_ on having a late dinner with them. Bakugo clearly would rather be anywhere but here, especially when Mitsuki Bakugo retaliated for Bakugo's bad behavior by telling everyone ridiculous stories from his childhood. Midoriya had known Bakugo since he was three, but some of these knee-slappers were new to his ears. Inko, too, shared a few more details in front of everyone than he'd like! Luckily, the parents were okay with the students blowing off dessert so they could visit the arcade before the 10:00 PM curfew Aizawa had set.

But they weren't alone in there.

"Oh. Hey, kids," Ms. Joke said cheerily, waving hi to Midoriya's group when they stepped into the hotel's arcade. "Nice of you to join us. I'm just watching over things..."

Bakugo made his angry face again. "What! Shiketsu beat us here? I've failed again!"

Ms. Joke blinked. "Failed what?"

"That!" Bakugo pointed at the Dance Dance Revolution game, where Inasa Yoarashi was competing against Yo Shindo of Ketsubutsu high school. Both boys were trying their hardest, racking up the points as their classmates cheered them on.

"What, did you want it to yourself?" Momo said with disbelief.

Bakugo stomped a foot. "Shiketsu beat us there, that's all! Even dumb Ketsubutsu got here first!"

"I heard that," Ms. Joke said sourly.

"And so did I!" The song ended just in time for Inasa to leap off the game platform and jog toward Midoriya's group. He did a deep bow to everyone. "I welcome new challengers! It seems that Ketsubutsu cannot match Shiketsu. I am sorry, Ms. Joke, but I need new competition!"

Ms. Joke smiled. "It's okay, Mr. Yoarashi. As long as everyone's having fun."

"Oooooh! Look, guys! New players!" Another Shiketsu girl, Camie, waved hello to Midoriya's group. "Come on, play with us!"

"Just don't make us look bad in front of them," another Shiketsu student grumbled.

Camie giggled. "This is Seiji. Feel free to ignore him. He's such a sourpuss."

"Am not!" Seiji snapped. "I'm just here to make sure everyone behaved in a dignified manner!"

One of his other classmates finished chugging a Coke and belched loudly.

Seiji slapped a hand over his face.

"It's all fun and games, Seiji." Inasa zoomed over and draped an arm across Seiji's shoulders. "Lighten up! We'll kick butt at the science bowl tomorrow, but tonight, we're all friends!"

Seiji grunted. "Just be quiet about it. Oh, who am I kidding..."

Inasa clapped his hands together. "Great! Who's up first?!"

Midoriya somehow found himself going first, and he broke into a sweat when everyone's eyes were on him and the song started. Uh-oh!  
"Try your hardest, Izuku Midoriya!" Inasa said, spreading his arms wide as he prepared to move. "Or I'll never forgive you!"

 _Neither will Kacchan!_ Midoriya had played this game before, but not recently. In fact, last time he slipped and nearly broke his collarbone...

"Come on! Keep up with me!" Inasa's feet zipped across the game board, nailing every arrow on the song ("Starlight Fantasia" by TAG). Whoa, this was harder than Midoriya remembered, and not even his bicycle-trained legs could keep up with this. Inasa soared to an easy victory and Midoriya, totally dizzy, staggered off the game board.

"Shiketsu wins the first round!" Inasa declared as he raised both fists. "Who's next?"

"First round of what?" Itsuka asked.

Inasa pointed. "I just had an idea! We shall study and quiz one another at the same time to exercise mind and body alike. Who's with me?!"

Midoriya blinked. "Uh... you want to cram for the science bowl _and_ play DDR?"

"Why not! Someone challenge me!" Inasa cried.

Bakugo vaulted onto the game board. "Oh, it's so on," he declared. "Guys, ask me anything!" He chose another song, and once the music started, a very strange scene unfolded.

"Guys!" Camie offered, cupping her hands over her mouth. "In physics, a radian per second is a unit of what?"

"Angular velocity!" Inasa said at once, stomping both feet to score with two different arrows.

"Correct! Woo hoo!"

Mei giggled and cupped her hands around her mouth, too. "Shockley, Brattain and Bardeen won a Nobel prize for what small invention?"

"The transistor!" Bakugo snapped.

"Right on, Bakugo!"

"I can do this, too." Seiji, despite his sour expression, cleared his throat. "How many atoms of oxygen are in a glucose molecule?"

"Eight!" Bakugo cried.

"Wrong."

Bakugo's quirk threatened to singe someone's eyebrows. "What?!"

"The answer is six!" Inasa cried. "Eat my dust, Katsuki Bakugo!"

"Mind your manners!" Seiji bit back. "Appearances are everything."

Back and forth they went, and after a stubborn match, Inasa narrowly edged out Bakugo in DDR points and science questions. Bakugo slouched off the game pad in defeat, and he clapped a weary hand on Shoto's shoulder. "You're up, half and half guy."

Shoto winced. "No way."

"Just for fun," Midoriya encouraged him. "It might soothe the nerves and blow off steam."

"Well... I suppose that's sensible." Shoto Todoroki casually stepped onto the game pad and took his turn against the reigning champion, and the song and questions started fast and furious.

"What is the acid present in vinegar?" asked Tatami Nakagame of Ketsubutsu high school.

"Acetic acid," Shoto said calmly as he gracefully nailed every DDR arrow that came his way.

"Correct!"

"Guys, in the first stage of photosynthesis, light energy is used to do what?" Momo asked.

Inasa landed his next few arrows. "Split water!"

"Very good. That's correct."

"I've got one." Iida raised his voice over the music. "Please answer me this! The hydrolysis of orthoclase results in the formation of what?"

Shoto and Inasa were both neck and neck in DDR, and they were also neck and neck in not knowing what the heck the answer was. "Do another one!" Inasa demanded.

"Even I do not know the answer," Shoto admitted.

"Whoa, that's a tough one," Camie commented, arms folded casually as she watched both boys go through the song's last chorus.

Iida shook his head. "The answer is kaolin! Shoto, you must be ready for anything!"

"Sorry about that." Shoto finished the song with an exact tie, and he tossed his hair casually as he stepped off the stage, slightly sweaty and looking all cool and whatever. All the girls (minus Momo) eyed him with great interest as he walked past them.

Some people...

Bakugo made an aggravated noise. "We gotta find a way to win, guys. I'll go next!"

"You already took a turn," Tatami pointed out. "Let someone else try."

Bakugo jabbed a finger at Inasa. "But he's been there the whole time!"

"He _won_ each time."

"You -"

"Time to wrap it up, students," a familiar man's voice said, and everyone turned to find Shota Aizawa shuffling toward the group, hands in his pockets. "It's nearly 10:00. Get back up to your rooms."

"Awwww, why not let them play a little more?" Ms. Joke wrapped her arms around Aizawa. "Just ten minutes?"  
"No. And let go already," Aizawa mumbled. "Everyone needs to get their sleep for the science bowl tomorrow. It starts at 8:00 sharp, you know."

"Oh, don't worry, we'll be there," Ms. Joke purred, gripping Aizawa even tighter as little hearts floated around her. "I wouldn't miss you for anything!"

"T-teacher, you gave yourself away," Tatami said with an embarrassed smile, going pink in the face.

Aizawa made an annoyed noise. "Can we _please_ get back up to the rooms where it's nice and quiet?"

"Fiiiiiine..." Ms. Joke reluctantly let Aizawa go and herded her students out of the arcade and to the nearest elevator. The Shiketsu students, with Inasa in the lead, headed for the next elevator, with Inasa waving a vigorous good-bye and Bakugo shooting him a dirty look.

Things were nice and quiet in the hotel when Midoriya rode the crowded elevator to the twelfth floor, where his team was staying, but he got a surprise when the group arrived at their doors.

"O-Ochaco?!" Midoriya cried. He felt his spirits soar as he saw Ochaco Uraraka and her parents approaching the rooms from the other side of the hallway.

"Deku! Katsuki! Everyone!" Ochaco hurried ahead of her parents, waving her arms. "I made it!"

Midoriya was sure he heard angels singing as he rushed forward to meet her. "W-weren't you sick? Your dad said..."

Ochaco looked a little pink in the face and her hair was a bit messy, but she looked no worse for wear. "I felt a little better today and my doctor said I'm not contagious. So I begged my parents to let me come!"

And just like in a rom-com movie, Midoriya reached out and caught Ochaco in a big hug, right there in front of the girls' room door. It felt so right somehow. He didn't care if Momo and Itsuka were giggling at him behind his back.

Midoriya held Ochaco tight, burying his face in her shoulder. "Welcome back to the team."

"Y-yeah. Thanks." Ochaco went a few shades redder, and she felt pretty warm in Midoriya's arms. "Uh, D-Deku? We're so close..."

"I'm sorry!" Midoriya automatically apologized, letting her go. But he was doing a big, silly happy dance in his mind. Ochaco was here! Now there was nothing to worry about! He didn't care if his team placed dead last in the science bowl.

Better not tell Kacchan that...

"I wasn't told about this," Aizawa said, frowning. "Hold on..." He checked his cell phone and winced. "I apologize. It seems I missed a call from the principal. Probably because everyone was making too much noise for me to hear it..."

"Everyone look after her, okay?" Mrs. Uraraka said fondly as she brought over Ochaco's suitcase. "She's still recovering."

"Mom!" Ochaco huffed. "I'm not a little kid!"

"Well, you'll always be my princess," Mr. Uraraka said with a big smile.

Ochaco's face went maximum red and she covered her face with her hands.

"Well, time to settle in," Aizawa said before things could possibly get any more awkward (fat chance). "Move it, kids."

"Have a good night, everyone!" Mrs. Uraraka said, beaming as she waved good-bye.

"We'll cheer you guys on!" Mr. Uraraka added as the students opened up their doors.

Ochaco was the first to hurry into the girls' room and retreat from sight.

Momo sighed. "Don't worry, I'll keep a lid on things. Have a pleasant evening." Trying to look as high-class as possible, Momo lifted her chin and strutted into the girls' room, with Itsuka and Mei following her and trying not to bust a gut laughing.

Iida stiffened his back and adjusted his glasses. "Gentlemen! Let us adjourn for the night and prepare for tomorrow! We must respect our teacher's wishes!"

Then he realized that Midoriya, Bakugo, and Shoto had already gone in the room.

"Come on, Iida," Midoriya teased him, sitting on the edge of the Western style bed. "Last one in is a rotten egg. Sorry."

"This mockery will not be forgiven!" Iida marched into the room, shut the door, then promptly fell face-first on his part of the closer bed and started snoring a bit.

Shoto made a face as he scooted the snoring Iida over to make room for himself. "This is why I like having my own room..."

"Relax. In these beds, we'll all sleep great." Midoriya patted his bed covers and started daydreaming about the science bowl now that Ochaco was here. Nothing could bring him down now.

Except for Bakugo kicking him in his sleep, as it turned out later that night.


	13. Chapter 13

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 13: The Science Bowl Begins (you'll be on the edge of your seat!)**

Why didn't Midoriya realize that he'd always been a waiter? And it was the dinner rush! He scrambled out of the kitchen with plates hot hot Italian food in each hand and rushed to the table, where Aizawa and principal Nezu were waiting. They were such good friends.

"Hey! Table four needs their check!" the head chef barked. "Get it, Midoriya!"

Midoriya rushed over but tripped on his untied shoelaces, and he sprawled on the tiled floor. People were laughing, and he realized that his pants were down, too. And his teeth were gone! Worst day ever!

"Ugh, that noise..." Midoriya clapped his hands over his ears as the kitchen door started rattling and banging, like fists were pounding on it. He heard a girl's muffled voice from behind it, and it seemed to be getting louder -

"Deku! Dude!"

Midoriya jumped when Bakugo shook him awake, and the mean-spirited Italian restaurant dissolved into his hotel room... and sure enough, someone was banging on the door. Either the housekeepers were just _dying_ to change their sheets, or someone was pretty angry out there.

"Wh-what time is it?" Midoriya asked groggily as he rubbed his eyes. Funny, the sunlight coming from between the window curtains seemed pretty bright...

"Guys!" came Momo's voice from behind the door. "Are any of you awake? We're late for the first round of the science bowl!"

"What the..." Midoriya checked the alarm clock on the bedside table and wishes that he was still pants-less at the Italian restaurant. 8:11! Late indeed!

"We're comin'!" Bakugo roared as he scrambled to get his shirt on. "Stupid Iida forgot to set the alarm!"

Tenya Iida, who was still asleep face-down from last evening, sprang to his feet and made an outraged face. "What! We did not decide whose responsibility the alarm-setting was! I cannot take the blame for this alone, Katsuki! This is most unfair!"

"Put a sock in it," Shoto grumbled as he got out of bed, tossing his half-and-half hair. "So we overslept. Let's just hurry down there and apologize to Mr. Aizawa."

 _Oh, no. Everything's ruined!_ Midoriya's head buzzed with panicked thoughts as he scrambled to get dressed, ignoring his rumbling stomach. His mom must be worried sick that something happened! Maybe she thought space aliens had abducted him (that would make the third time), or maybe she pictured Izuku drowning in the tub (that would make four) or she thought that Izuku had suffocated on his blankets (that would make... a really big number).

Momo knocked on the door again. "Boys, are you almost ready? We have to go."

"I am here!" Iida puffed out his chest as he hurried to the hotel room's door and wrenched it open. He bowed deeply. "I am sorry that we delayed everything! Please do not think ill of us!"

Momo rolled her eyes, arms folded over her expensive-looking blouse. "You're forgiven, honorable samurai. Just please hurry."

So much for breakfast. Midoriya dug a power bar out of his backpack, crammed that sucker into his mouth, and hurried down the hallway with the rest of the team toward the elevator.

"Go, go, go!" Bakugo furiously assaulted the call button to make it go faster, and Midoriya could have sworn he heard the button cry out for its mommy.

"Sorry about this," Midoriya told Ochaco meekly at the group's back while Itsuka fussed at Bakugo. "You fought a bad cold just to come here, and now we're late." He looked down at his shoes.

Ochaco patted his back. "It's okay, Deku. These things happen. As long as we try our best. Right?"

Midoriya looked up just in time to see Ochaco's big, friendly smile and he couldn't help smiling, too. He felt himself go pink. "Okay. Let's try our best! Team Uraraka!" He raised a fist.

Mei Hatsume giggled while Bakugo continued his siege on the elevator's call button. "It's so cute you named the team after her, Izuku," she commented.

"It's team Bakugo!" the explosion boy snapped, right before the elevator finally showed up. Midoriya nearly got the life squeezed out of him as the group of eight all crammed themselves into the elevator at the exact same time like animals. He barely had room to reach over and press the ground floor's button.

"This is it, team," Bakugo announced as the elevator got moving. "We win, or we die!"

Itsuka snorted. "Remind me not to try out for next year's science bowl team."

Midoriya, meanwhile, couldn't relax until he and the other seven reached the auditorium doors and yanked them open. He put on a happy smile now that things were getting underway... then he saw the size of the crowded auditorium! Was this the Academy Awards or something?!

Up on the stage, meanwhile, two long tables were set up with white tablecloths draped over them, and the Shiketsu team was already seated at the table on stage right, while the other table's eight chairs were open for Midoriya's team. Coach Toshinori Yagi and a dark-haired teacher from Shiketsu were both standing behind podiums, and coach Yagi turned and waved.

"Here they come now," he announced into a cordless microphone. "My school's team is running a bit late, but heck, here they are now, ready to play. Give it up for these fine young ladies and gentlemen!"

There was polite applause as Midoriya and the others hurried down the aisle and climbed up a few stairs onto the stage. He and the others faced the audience and did a quick bow, then plopped into their seats. Midoriya took hold of his buzzer, ready for action. The others did the same.

"Heck yeah!" Inasa Yoarashi of Shiketsu cheered, raising both fists. "If my team won by default, that would be such a shame! My leftover passion would literally melt me into a pile of human goop!"

There was a stiff and unbelievably awkward silence following _that_. Midoriya could have sworn the crickets outside woke back up just so they could chirp.

"Uh... yes! Passion is key to victory," coach Yagi said into the microphone. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Izuku Midoriya, Ochaco Uraraka, Tenya Iida, Shoto Todoroki, Momo Yaoyorozu, Mei Hatsume, Itsuka Kendo, and Katsuki Bakugo of Team One! I think they're ready to rock. Don't you?"

There was a light scattering of applause. Either the crowd was annoyed at Midoriya's team being late, or they were tired of bad jokes. Fair enough in either case.

"Then let us begin!" Coach Yagi got his spirit back as he turned to face the sixteen assembled students and drew the first card from his stack. "For one point...the solidified lava of a volcano belongs to which rock family?"

Inasa buzzed in with lightning speed. "Igneous!" he declared.

Coach Yagi's dazzling white teeth glinted in the stage's lights. "Correct! Now, for one point... Which type of muscle is a syncytium?"

Momo buzzed in this time. "The answer is 'skeletal,'" she said loftily.

"Very good, miss Yaoyorozu!" Coach Yagi declared. "Now for our third question... what..."

Midoriya didn't even hear the question. He felt like he was still in a dream somehow, loose and weightless, unable to grab onto anything... he frantically scanned the crowd until he finally found a familiar woman with dark green hair, seated between Mitsuki Bakugo and Momo's dad. _Mom!_ Inko noticed her son watching her and waved and smiled.

Okay, that did the trick.

"Question six!" coach Yagi boomed. "If a toy train moves in a circle of 8 meters radius with a speed of 4 meters per second, then what is the magnitude of the acceleration of the train?"

As though in slow motion, Midoriya saw Inasa start to squeeze his thumb down on his buzzers button, and Midoriya brought his thumb down on his own buzzer at the same time. A millisecond would decide it -

Midoriya heard a buzzer but couldn't tell whose it was.

"Yes, young Midoriya?" Coach Yagi asked.

 _I got it!_ Midoriya swallowed. "Two meters per second squared."

"Yes! Very good!" Coach Yagi gave him a quick salute. "Now, each team is tied three points to three. Once we finish the first forty questions, all point values are doubled, and the questions get way harder! Are you kids ready?"

Everyone nodded.

"Excellent!" Coach Yagi dramatically drew another card, and promptly dropped it. The audience chuckled as the muscular man knelt to pick it up.

"My passion gets ahead of me sometimes," he said bashfully, slicking a hand over his dazzling blond hair. "Next question..."

Back and forth the two teams went, everyone buzzing in at least once. Iida got his first answer wrong, but then Camie of Shiketsu got an answer wrong, and Shoto was quick to answer it correctly. Ochaco was quiet, though, and she didn't press her buzzer even when Midoriya's team was down one point, twenty to nineteen.

"Question forty, and the last one-pointer!" Coach Yagi warned everyone. His bright blue eyes scanned the card. "A Poise is the unit of measure of what?"

Quick like a cheetah, Inasa buzzed in, a confident grin spreading across his face. Midoriya scowled; he'd pressed his buzzer too, but too late, and now Shiketsu high school's team had first crack at the question.

 _It's mass,_ Midoriya thought. _I'm sure of it._

Inasa made a smug chuckle. "Mass," he said.

"Nope! Sorry!" Coach Yagi shook his head, his dazzling smile still in place. "Can the other team provide the answer?"

Midoriya frowned. The answer wasn't "mass"? But he was so sure! He glanced at Bakugo and Itsuka, both of whom shrugged.

There was a buzz.

"Viscosity," Ochaco said.

Coach Yagi saluted her. "Correct! Well done, miss Uraraka!"

The audience broke into polite applause and Midoriya felt like a thousand happy balloons were lifting him to the heavens like in that animated movie with the balloon-lifted house that he finally watched last year. _Ochaco...!_

"That concludes the first round of the one-point phase!" Coach Yagi declared, bowing to the audience. "The two teams tie at twenty points each. Now, we shall start the next one-point round." He turned back to the two teams. "You both may have an hour long break until the two-point phase starts, and your match will be the first. For now, I would like to welcome the gallant teams of Ketsubutsu high school and Seiai Academy!"

The audience politely clapped again as sixteen more students arrived on stage, and as he got up to make room for them, Midoriya recognized Yo Shindo and Tatami Nakagame from Ketsubutsu high school. He gave them a friendly wave that Yo half-heartedly returned and that Tatami whole-heartedly returned. Well, maybe Yo was just as nervous as Midoriya felt about all this.

Coach Yagi introduced the new students as Midoriya exited the auditorium with the others. "Not bad, huh?" Midoriya said brightly as the eight of them entered the hotel's enormous, fancy lobby. He casually folded his hands together behind his back as he walked.

Bakugo's quirk sizzled and sparked on his palms. "Oh, we're just getting started, Deku," he said wickedly, his teeth sharp like a shark's. "I'm going straight back up to the room to cram, and we'll finally mop the floor with Shiketsu -"

His stomach growled.

Everyone else burst out laughing. "Come on, fuel up," Mei said with a giggle as she clapped a hand on Bakugo's back. "Let's visit the cafeteria again. I think they're serving pancakes! Yum!"

Bakugo snorted. "I'll destroy those pancakes like I'll destroy Shiketsu high school! Plus ultra!" He pounded an open palm with his fist as he stalked off toward the cafeteria with Mei and the others.

"I'm not hungry," Ochaco admitted, waving a hand. "I'd rather just explore the hotel a bit."

Midoriya didn't feel terribly hungry either, and an idea popped into his head. "You guys go ahead," he told them. "I'll see you for round two."  
"Better not be late, Deku!" Bakugo said over his shoulder until Mei steered him into the cafeteria with the others.

Ochaco turned to Midoriya with a big smile. "So, I guess it's just you and me," she said, rather pink in the face. Was it her leftover fever from the cold, or maybe something a little more...?  
"Y-yeah," Midoriya said automatically, feeling himself starting to sweat. Crap, what did he do now?! He was getting all flustered just standing here with Ochaco, all alone in this huge hotel lobby... he couldn't resist her really cute smiling face, or how she was standing so close to him.

He glanced over his shoulder and got an idea. "Hey, Ochaco... how'd you like to really see what the Ridge View Lodge has to offer?"

"Sure!"

"In that case, let's go upstairs and get our jackets..."

"Huh? Our jackets?"

*o*o*o*o*

It didn't take Ochaco long to see what Midoriya was getting at. The Ridge View Lodge was in the middle of Akita, but it had its own park in the back, a few acres of asphalt paths, a few ponds, and a lot of lovely trees and neatly tended gardens. From out here, in the cool October sun, the hotel looked even more massive, towering over Midoriya like a mountain.

Midoriya casually strolled through the park with the girl next door, taking in the fresh air and the fresh scent of the trees and gardens with some of the other hotel guests. He was quiet for a little while, wanting to just get away from all the craziness that was his high school life. It just felt so... well, _right_ to spend a little quality time with a great girl like Ochaco, just the two of them...

After a while, Ochaco made an amused noise. "Bakugo is definitely more worked up about the science bowl than you, isn't he? You're so much more relaxed."

"W-well, uh..." Midoriya couldn't argue with that, but what was Ochaco getting at? "I wanna win too, but you know what, just seeing this great hotel and being with all my friends is good enough for me."

As though by magic, a miniature, imaginary Izuku Midoriya materialized on his left shoulder, one dressed like a tough guy, complete with shades. "Hey, you!" little Midoriya barked. "Quit being lame! You're not in elementary school anymore!"

 _And here comes my very unwelcome subconscious,_ Midoriya thought with a mental groan. The little guy even had a funny accent.

Ochaco beamed. "Does that include me?"

"Sure it does," Midoriya said hastily. Did she think he wouldn't want her around? "I couldn't be here without you."

Ochaco giggled as they rounded a corner and passed a colorful flowerbed framed by low brick walls. "You know what, my mom and dad didn't really want me here, either, but I just kicked and screamed until they gave in!"

"Not literally, I hope," Midoriya said with a nervous laugh.

"Not since I was four," Ochaco joked. "But when my dad told me how you came by my house to see me, well..." she went red as an apple this time. "I was so touched, Deku. That's what good friends do for each other. Thanks for making me so welcome in your neighborhood."

"She's coming on strong, kiddo," the imaginary tiny Midoriya said. "Don't screw this up."

 _Shut up, tiny me!_ Midoriya cleared his throat. "Hey, anytime. I look out for my friends."

"More!" tiny Midoriya barked.

Ochaco wrapped her arms around Midoriya's right arm and leaned in closer as they walked through the park, passing under a tree with vivid orange and yellow leaves. "Thank you, Deku, I... uh..."

Midoriya stopped, too. "What's the matter?"

Ochaco bit her lower lip and glanced down. "D-Deku... remember after the job fair at school, when I met you after school and, uh..."

Sure enough, Midoriya remembered that rather awkward job fair where Denki and Ochaco knew exactly what they wanted to do, but Midoriya was stumped. But what did Ochaco say after that...? Then he remembered that scene on the school's front grounds between him and her, and now he went red, too.

"I-I remember," he croaked. His heart was racing in his chest.

"Yeah, um..." Ochaco looked up, her brown eyes fixed on his. "You don't have to answer, Deku, but if you... if you like me, would you tell me, or give me some hint?" She let go of his arm and held her face in her hands, glancing away bashfully as she went a shade redder.

This time, a tiny Midoriya in a white tux appeared on his other shoulder, and this one held a bouquet of roses and had a pink bow tie. "This is your chance," the new Midoriya told the real one. "Sweep her off her feet!"

Both tiny Midoriyas were egging him on, and the real Midoriya felt paralyzed, both flattered and shocked that Ochaco was being so forward. He tried to get the words out, and he knew exactly what to say, but it was so difficult...!

"Oh, forget I said it," Ochaco said, clearly mortified. "I-I shouldn't pry about other people's feelings like that. Let's just go inside and -"

Midoriya wrapped one arm behind Ochaco's back and held her closer, his other hand gently tilting up her chin so she met his eyes again. He didn't say anything, he just held her there. He didn't care if anyone could see them of if anyone was listening (they weren't alone in this park!). Instead, he tried to work up the courage to speak to the girl who meant the world to him, and tell her just what he was thinking.

"D-Deku..." Ochaco breathed. "What are you...?"

"I'm feeling a little tongue-tied," Midoriya teased her, and he felt himself automatically lean a little closer to her, savoring her sweet scent. Damn, everything about this girl was just perfect. "Sorry, Ochaco. I don't think I can say it with words."

He didn't know what possessed him to say that, but the gentlemanly tiny Midoriya on his right shoulder was giving a nod of approval. "That's it," the tiny Midoriya said. "Just a little more..."

"Deku..." Ochaco breathed again, and she closed her eyes and stood on her tip-toes, leaning in close to brush her soft lips against his -

 _BRRRRRINNGG!_

Both of them jumped out of their skin when Ochaco's cell phone went off in her jeans pocket, and Ochaco hastily backed up and snatched out her flip phone. Avoiding Midoriya's eyes, she flipped it open. "H-hello?"

Midoriya tried to look nonchalant, but his heart was going a mile a minute, and both tiny Midoriyas, the punk and the gentleman, were in agony. He was so close! So close to... he pictured the complete scene, complete with rom-com glittery backgrounds, and he had to turn away and put up a hand to hide his wide, ecstatic grin. If only he weren't such a timid wuss. If only he was cool and tough like Shoto or Kacchan!

"... don't worry about it. I don't feel any worse," Ochaco was saying into her phone, making an exasperated noise. "I'll be fine. Look, I'll go to bed early tonight if you want, mom... no, I _don't_ need to get a checkup!... sorry, that was uncalled for... I'll be fine for school on Monday. I'm sure of it... oh, I'm in the park outside with Izuku... oh, _fine_..."

She hung up, and Midoriya eagerly turned to face her.

Ochaco blinked. "What were you looking at?"

"Oh, n-nothing..."

Ochaco pointed at her phone and made an annoyed face. "My mom is taking every chance she gets to act like I'm about to catch the plague. I can't get ten minutes alone."

"Hey, it's a mom's job to worry, right?" _Boy, do I have experience with that!_

Ochaco pocketed her phone and smiled again. "I guess. But, uh... she wants me to go inside and lay down a bit before our next round in the science bowl. Sorry."

"It's okay. I understand." All three Midoriyas, tiny and real, were mentally wailing in frustration and aggravation, but what could they do?

"Thanks, Deku." Ochaco glanced down and touched her lower lip with her fingertips, then went red again and hurried past him. "I-I gotta go. I have lots to think about! F-for the science bowl! That's what I meant! See ya!"

"Sure..." Midoriya could barely mumble a response, still numb with disappointment as he watched Ochaco hurry back to the hotel's back doors. He wanted to kick himself (maybe the punk Midoriya would do it). He knew exactly how he felt about her, and she seemed into him, too... why couldn't he say it? And if Ochaco felt it too, couldn't she say something?

Midoriya shook his head. No, it wasn't any use blaming everyone. He'd get his chance, one of these days... maybe when he was old and shuffling around on a cane...

There wasn't much point staying out here if he was all alone now. Both imaginary Midoriyas evaporated as the real one slowly followed Ochaco's footsteps to the hotel's back door, and he barely looked where he was going when he shuffled through the hotel's lobby and pressed the call button for the 12th floor. He might as well cram for the second round, and see if he could fit one more science bowl fact in his head.

At this rate, he should be studying a pickup artist or two instead. But then again, he wasn't half bad out there, and he learned to _really_ man up, he might get somewhere with this...

That thought was enough to sustain him for now as he joined Bakugo, Shoto, and Iida in their room for cramming, who apparently had come back after a quick breakfast down in the cafeteria.

Shoto looked up from his book. "Where have you been? I didn't see you down at the cafeteria when Bakugo was stuffing his hungry face."

Bakugo scowled. "I heard that, half-and-half," Bakugo snapped.

Midoriya made a nervous chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. "I-I, uh... this hotel has a park in the back, and I was checking it out with Ochaco..."

"So you were alone with her out there?" Bakugo said with a sly grin. "Not bad, Deku. You make your move?"

"Katsuki! That is personal!" Iida barked, his glasses' panes glinting.

"W-well, uh..."

Even Shoto looked intrigued. "I heard that you're interested in her," he said casually. "Is that true?"

"I-I, um..."

"Izuku, if you are attracted to miss Ochaco Uraraka, then you have my full support!" Iida said, saluting. "As class representative, I have to look after the well-being of my classmates!"

Midoriya scowled. "Now who's the one asking personal questions?!"

"It is different when I do it," Iida said stubbornly.

Bakugo's wicked grin grew wider. "Hear that, fellas? Deku and Uraraka were getting frisky out there where no one can see -"

"KACCHAN!"

Shoto nodded. "That Uraraka girl is very nice. I can see why Midoriya is dating her."

"I _plan_ to!" Midoriya said, mortified. "K-Kacchan went out with her once to make her see his boring side, b-but I haven't had a chance to date her yet..."

"I see." Shoto managed a rare grin. "So just to be clear, I take it that you've moved on from Himiko Toga, that weird girl from class 1-C?"

Midoriya made inhuman noises. " _Moved on_?"

Shoto blinked. "You mean you weren't dating Toga, either? I could have sworn I saw you walk her home many times."

Both Iida and Bakugo were roaring with laughter by now, and Midoriya was ready strangle all three of these clowns. "She was _stalking_ me! She'll even pop out of trash cans and shrubs just to ambush me like a wildcat."

"Oh yes, I've heard that she has stalker tendencies," Shoto said vaguely, going back to his book.

"That's not something to take lightly," Midoriya said sourly. "We just now became friends. But that's it!"

"Midoriya, if there is something I can do to help, I shall do it!" Iida offered, raising a hand. "If you need me to arrange rose petals in a heart on her desk, write fancy poems for you, or spread positive rumors about it, I'm your man!"

Bakugo nearly bust a gut laughing at that. "Since when do you do crap like that, Iida? Are you just lending him your ideas for seducing Momo?"

Iida choked. "M-Momo? Who said anything about -"

"Oh, right," Shoto said calmly, eyes scanning the contents of his science book. "Tenya, you and Momo plan to date, right?"

Now Iida turned on Shoto. "Mind your own business!" he roared, and his glasses practically flew of his face.

"Taste of your own medicine, class rep," Bakugo mocked him. "How d'you like _that_?"

"I shall not be mocked!" Iida pumped both fists. "I must act with dignity! Now allow me to write love poems to Uraraka on Izuku's behalf like I planned to!"

"Write them to Momo," Shoto muttered. "It's obvious that's what you want to do."

"Oh man, things are heating up in here!" Bakugo hooted, and he actually slapped his knee. "What a riot!"

Midoriya heard enough. "You guys are the worst," he muttered, stalking off and heading for the door. He wrenched it shut and resolved to find a new set of friends ASAP.

Then again, Midoriya thought as he took the elevator back down to the lobby, this just meant that his friends cared, even if they were annoyed about it. And if they were all so sure about this, then that meant he had a real shot with Ochaco, right? He felt his grin cross his face as he imagined the park scene the way he intended it, holding Ochaco close, her eyes closed as their lips met. It was perfect -

"Izuku!"

The elevator doors slid open to reveal Mei standing there, several Styrofoam boxes of leftover food held in her arms. "I just saw Ochaco awhile back. She looked really happy for some reason. She was practically skipping!"

"N-no reason! I'm not here!" Midoriya blurted out nonsense as he rushed past his pink-haired teammate and across the lobby, desperate to be isolated from super-nosy classmates. Two hundred miles away from his school, and he still couldn't escape the onslaught.

He had to take control of this mess, and fast!


	14. Chapter 14

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 14: And the Winner Is... (no hard feelings, okay? OKAY?)**

The break between rounds zipped by way faster than Midoriya expected, but then again, Ochaco Uraraka was on his mind the whole time, and how close they had been in the hotel's sunlit park, almost no one around to interrupt them (stupid phone call), Ochaco's sweet scent, how her hair had tickled him when they drew close -

Oh yeah, there was a science bowl on. Sure. Whatever.

"And here we have the team set to challenge Shiketsu high school for the gold medal!" Coach Yagi announced in the packed auditorium as Midoriya shuffled down the aisles with his seven teammates. "Give it up for these eight youngsters!"

Up on the stage, Inasa Yoarashi bolted upright, an eager look on his face. "Wait a minute! No one told me there was a gold medal! I must win it!"

Camie giggled and eased him back down in his seat. "It's just a figure of speech, Inasa. Relax."

"Oh, it's real," coach Yagi told her, his dazzling white teeth glinting.

Camie bolted to her feet, an eager look on her face. "Ooooooh! Gimme!"

"We have to win first, you creeps," Seiji muttered.

Midoriya's mind was still back at the park as the audience clapped to welcome his team onto the stage. He glanced at Ochaco as he took his seat with the others, but she didn't return his gaze. She seemed totally focused on the science bowl.

Then Midoriya's cell phone vibrated in his pocket.

 _What the?_ Midoriya checked the text message while coach Yagi introduced his team again. It was a text from... Mei?

 _I see you and Ochaco looking at each other with lovers' eyes. It's plain as day!_ the message read.

Midoriya jolted and he swear he heard a teapot-like whistle as steam shot out of his ears. He automatically stared over at Mei, who gave him a cunning look.

"Young Midoriya, please put away all personal electronics," coach Yagi gently chastised him. "It's just you and your brain fighting for the top spot!"

"S-sorry!" Midoriya shoved his phone into his pocket and wondered if he could reach the fire alarm from here to make his exit. Forget this fancy hotel! Who needed it?

"And now, we are ready to start!" coach Yagi boomed. "All questions are worth double points, and these will be some tough ones. You lot ready?"

"Yes!" sixteen teenagers declared, some with more enthusiasm than others. Inasa alone could melt titanium with that voice of his.

Coach Yagi did a flourish as he drew the top card from his stack of questions. "Then let us begin! For two points: In the SI system of measure, what is the unit of capacitance?"

Inasa buzzed in like a cheetah on a sugar rush. "Farad!" he declared.

"Very well done!" coach Yagi exclaimed. "Let's move right on... What is 25,000 miles per hour on Earth, and 5,300 miles per hour on the Moon?"

Shoto Todoroki buzzed right in, smooth and cool (then again, so was ice cream). "Escape velocity," he said.

"Correct! Third question..."

Back and forth the two teams went, but Midoriya felt like he was stuck in a tar pit (hey, maybe a question about that would come up). Darn it! Why was the universe teasing him like this?! He'd never had a real date before, and he had so much trouble approaching girls... he had his chance, and yoink! Away it went! Maybe he was doomed to settle for a girlfriend pillow like Aoyama was rumored to have. Midoriya tightened his hands into fists. It was just so unfair! When would he get another chance?

 _Buzz!_

Midoriya blinked. "Huh?"

"Yes! Young Midoriya!" coach Yagi pointed right at the teenager in question, and his teammates were watching him. What was _their_ problem? He started to sweat, unable to say a word.  
Wait... did he buzz into a question?!

"Rocks," he blurted out.

Mei dove her face into her arms to hide her laughter while Bakugo made a sour face like he just lost a bet of a million dollars, and Iida leaned a little closer to Midoriya. "Izuku, please pay closer attention, or we will surely lose!" Iida whispered urgently into his ear.

Coach Yagi hesitated. "Uh... that was a chemistry question."

Seiji rolled his eyes and buzzed in. "Carbon isotopes," he answered.

"Correct!" Coach Yagi gave him the thumbs-up, and Seiji rolled his eyes even harder. Seriously, they'd pop out of his head at this rate.

"Deku, are you all right?" Ochaco whispered from behind her cupped hand as coach Yagi asked the next question.

Izuku saw Ochaco's innocent, curious brown eyes and flinched. If only he had a decent blanket so he could hide under it for a few hours. He just couldn't face anyone right now!

"F-fine," he stammered. "Am fine."

Okay, his language center was definitely kaput. Nice knowing you.

"And now, the final question!" Coach Yagi announced in what felt like no time at all. He dramatically drew the final card, and toyed with it in his hand. "Oh, my. Everything comes down this, doesn't it? The final crunch. It reminds me of my third year in high school, when the school's eyes were upon me as I had to take the final shot for the goal..."

Bakugo sprang to his feet. "Ask the stupid question!" he roared. "Get on with it, old man!"

Coach Yagi had a dark rain cloud over his head. "I'm only thirty-four..." He sobbed into his card, and Ms. Joke sprang onto the stage to comfort him.

"There, there..." she consoled him. "I'll tell you a funny joke to cheer you up."

Coach Yagi blinked back the tears. "Does it involve talking animals?"

Bakugo winced. "Uh... sorry, Mr. Yagi. I just wanna win, that's all. We'd love to hear the final question."

"But of course!" Coach Yagi struck a pose like a Greek statue and seemed to radiate cheer and glory. "Silly me. Of course you kids are dying to know how this will turn out! This last question decides everything!"

Bakugo looked a bit happier. "Let's do it." He sat back down and rubbed his hands.

Coach Yagi read the final card. "Besides solids, liquids, and gases, what is the fourth state of matter?"

Even the lovesick, preoccupied Midoriya snapped back into reality when he heard that one. What in the world? That question was so easy! Everyone would pounce on it like hungry jaguars!

This was it. Would Midoriya's days of playing Xbox and his PSP finally pay off with his lightning-fast button-pressing reflexes?! He bore his thumb down on that buzzer with all his might -

 _Buzz!_

"Plasma!" Inasa Yoarashi cried. He threw up two pairs of devil's horns like a heavy metal star.

Coach Yagi tossed all his question cards into the air like confetti. "Correct! Shiketsu high school wins the first round of the second phase! Congratulations, kids!"

The audience broke into applause and Midoriya cautiously checked how Bakugo was holding up, prepared for the molten eruption -

Instead he found Bakugo hunched forward, eyes distant as he muttered to himself Midoriya-style (patent pending).

Momo looked concerned. "Katsuki, what are...?"  
"The points don't quite add up... we have a chance if Ketsubutsu high school loses to Seiai Academy... yeah, Ketsubutsu ain't that good, they'll lose to Seiai for sure..."

Ms. Joke frowned. "I heard that!" she snapped. "Now I won't let you hear my hysterical joke about the hungry goat that visits the chicken coop!"

"Oh! I'd love to hear it!" Coach Yagi eagerly leaned in closer to listen like a little boy who expected a popsicle.

Bakugo totally ignored them as the sound effects for "mutter, mutter" swirled around him. "We have the points to beat Ketsubutsu too, if they lose to Seiai, oh, but we needed about six more to get into range to overtake first unless I missed something... and I don't think Isamu Academy high school is even in the running based on how many points they got in the one-point phase... but if -"

Shoto knocked his knuckles on Bakugo's head. "Earth to Katsuki," he said. "We gotta go so the next teams can sit down."

"Don't touch me! Half and half jerk!" Bakugo sprang to his feet in fury, ironically doing what Shoto wanted.

"Hey! Be nice!" Itsuka Kendo scolded him.

Bakugo sighed and finally cooled off a bit. "Sorry. I'm just really pumped to win."

"We all are." Momo gently held Bakugo's shoulders. "We would all love to get that gold medal. But without good sportsmanship, it's meaningless. I'm counting on you to make a good impression of our high school, okay?"

Bakugo grunted. "Fine, fine..."

Iida steered Bakugo toward the edge of the stage with the others. "Well spoken, Momo Yaoyorozu!" he cried. "I couldn't have said it better myself!"

"Oh, I just told him what you'd say," Momo said with a bashful smile. "You're the class representative, after all."

"Momo, you do me much honor."

Mei slapped Iida on the back. "Oh for Pete's sake, just take her out on a date already!"

"What -!" Iida seemed to have a heart attack, and he and Bakugo both sprawled onto the stage in an awkward heap.

Momo went bright red. "Mei, mind your own business, if you please!"

"And you!" Mei draped her arm around Midoriya's shoulders. "You'll get your chance, Izuku. Don't look so down in the dumps! Sheesh!"

"Uh..." Midoriya felt himself blush and he met Ochaco's eyes for just a second before she blushed even redder and glanced away.

"If everyone's done playing matchmaker..." Shoto tried to look grumpy as he squeezed his way through the crowd, but Mei grabbed him by the his shirt collar.

"And what about you, Mr. stud?" Mei teased him. "Half the girls in our school are nuts about you. Surely you like _one_ of them back?"

Shoto tried to escape Mei's death grip. "Someone help me out here."

"Somehow, I don't think I can," Itsuka said with a sly grin. "Sorry, Shoto."

"Don't make me freeze your fingers," Shoto warned Mei. "I can make them numb in two second flat."

"Oh, you wouldn't," Mei said with a giggle.

Shoto sighed. "You got me. I wouldn't..."

No one even noticed the Seiai Academy students walking past them to take their turn, nor did they notice the odd looks the Academy students were giving them. Finally, Ms. Joke gently ushered them away and off the stage.

"Great job, guys," she said kindly as they walked down the steps to the auditorium's aisles. "I know I'm supposed to root for my school most of all, but... well, if my Shota is rooting for you all, then so am I!"

"Just take him out to dinner already," Mei told Ms. Joke, aiming her love-cannon right at the older woman. "Maybe some nice wine will loosen him up."

Ms. Joke gasped. "You're right! I never thought of that! Thanks for the idea."

Shoto gawked. "You can't be serious..."

Ms. Joke made a crafty smile. "I've got to hurry and make a reservation for a table for two... see you all later!" She hurried off, more hearts floating around her.

Midoriya gave Mei an impressed look. "Cupid has nothing on you."

Mei winked. "That kid wishes."

Midoriya felt a little better as he found seats to watch the next round with his teammates, but Ochaco didn't seem ready to be near him again. She made sure that Bakugo, Momo, and Iida were all between her and him, and she kept her gaze on the far wall, her hands loosely clenched into fists on her lap.

 _Uh-oh... I didn't push her too far, did I?_ Midoriya went right back into panic mode as a Seiai student buzzed in on the stage. He felt ice-cold dread grip his heart. _If I overwhelmed her with my rash move earlier today, and she's confused and resents me for putting all this pressure on her... I could have ruined everything! Or maybe she's into me but doesn't know how to express it... no, she wouldn't look quite so freaked out... I could ask one of her girlfriends what's going on and try to be subtle about what I'm really after... no, I've never been smooth and cool like Shoto is... man, he really is like ice cream..._

"Gah!" Midoriya yelped when Bakugo gently conked his fist on Midoriya's head.

"I know that face," Bakugo said with a teasing grin. "Cool it, Deku. Live in the moment. Breathe."

"Yeah, you're totally Mr. Zen, O Lord Explosion Murder," Midoriya teased right back.

Bakugo made a I'll-kick-your-butt-one-of-these-days look and turned his attention back to the stage. Midoriya turned his attention back to the science bowl too, but he was positively dying to leave this emotionally turbulent hotel and go back home, and try to use a combination of calculus, a magic 8-ball, and a few science experiments to figure out just what the hell was going on with his social life. But there was still one other thing he was eager to find out...

*o*o*o*o*

"NOOOOOOOO!"

Bakugo seized his head and wailed when, three hours later, coach Yagi announced that Shiketsu high school won the annual science bowl for the fourth year running. No one heard him, though; the audience was clapping nice and loudly as Inasa and the others bowed in gratitude. But Inasa looked less thrilled when coach Yagi presented the gold medal... which turned out to be a cheap dollar-store toy gold medal.

Camie took it instead and acted graciously, unlike her disappointed teammates.

"Well, there's always next year," Momo said casually a while later as her friends crossed the hotel's lobby to catch their waiting bus. "Still, I had great fun with this year. I feel like I really grew as a person." She smiled.

"Yeah, I -" Itsuka started, until a brawny special someone burst onto the scene.

"Well fought!" Inasa Yoarashi draped one arm over Bakugo's shoulders and the other across Midoriya's. "Whoa, what a great time! I'll never forget this, guys!"

"Oh great, it's you," Bakugo muttered.

"I am so impressed with how great you guys did!" Inasa plowed on. "I mean, second place? That's still incredible! I consider each and everyone of you my honored rivals! I shall work very hard to compete with you next year as well! I shall do my best!"

"Rivals, huh..." Bakugo thought it over, then managed a cocky grin. "Good enough for me! Bring it on!"

Inasa threw back his head and laughed. "Oh, I shall! And with that, I shall say goodbye!"

He firmly patted Bakugo and Midoriya each on the shoulders and skipped off to rejoin his Shiketsu classmates across the lobby.

Momo winced and rubbed her ears. "If he ever gets his hands on a megaphone, he'll shatter the Earth's crust for sure."

"Hey, new science bowl question," Ochaco joked. "How many decibels does it take for a high schooler to shatter stone?"

Momo groaned. "Too many for my taste."

Midoriya smiled and tried to meet Ochaco's eyes again, and she met them with a brief smile before she looked away.

"No more delay. It would be rude to keep the bus driver waiting!" Iida cried, making his usual arm motions. "Mr. Aizawa will surely be upset that we are so late! Hurry!"

But when they got on the bus, they found Aizawa lounging on a seat, reading a magazine.

"Oh. There you guys are," Aizawa mumbled. "Have a seat. Let's go home." He turned a page in his magazine.

Midoriya snorted with laughter as he sat down and the bus got moving. "Bit anticlimactic, huh, Iida?"

Iida's glasses panes glinted. "Early is on time! On time is late! Late -"

Momo gently placed a hand over Iida's mouth, forever robbing anyone of knowing what "late" was. "Hush," she said, putting a finger over her lips. "Let's have a nice quiet drive home..."

"Mmmf-mmmm," Iida responded ever so eloquently.

Momo beamed. "Wonderful."

*o*o*o*o*

It was almost 4:00 in the afternoon when the bus finally arrived back in town and Midoriya stepped out of the bus with the others. It was another chilly afternoon, and Midoriya stretched his arms wide, not liking being cooped up in buses in cars like that. He could really use a bike ride. But it was kind of chilly out...

"See you guys in class!" Midoriya cried, waving as everyone went their own ways home. Ochaco went ahead, going in the same direction as Midoriya's house. She turned long enough to cheerily wave good-bye, then hurried off. Was she feeling bashful? Best to leave her alone for now...

"Kacchan," Midoriya offered as the students scattered to walk home. "Why don't we stretch our legs and visit the manga shop. There might be something new."

"Works for me," Bakugo said with a shrug. "I don't have much else planned for today." He glanced over and watched Ochaco leave. "Hey, Deku. Things are getting pretty serious between you and the Uraraka girl, aren't they?"

"Kacchan!" Midoriya blurted, and he felt himself go red. He shifted from one foot to the other. "That's private."

"Oh, give me a break." Bakugo grinned and gave Midoriya a light punch on the shoulder. "You're just gonna let her walk home _alone_? You wanna still be single by Christmas Eve this year?"

Midoriya watched Ochaco turn a corner in her neighborhood and vanish from view behind a house. She looked so lovely, walking so happily through the sunlit afternoon, not a care in the world... truly the girl next door. "Well, uh... Kacchan, things feel delicate right now. We had a... a moment -"

"Aha! See?" Bakugo rubbed his hands together. "Now you're becoming a real man, Deku. And real men finish the job."

"But..." Midoriya could hardly explain this to himself, let alone the blunt and aggressive Kacchan. He'd need a counselor at this rate...

Midoriya cleared his throat. "We were gonna kiss -"

"That's my boy!"

Midoriya winced. "But her mom called and interrupted, and she had to go. And now she's kinda avoiding me." He glanced down in dismay, staring at his red shoes. "Now I'm thinking that she's all flustered and doesn't know how to process our budding relationship. What if I push too hard and scare her off?"

Bakugo snorted. "Fat chance. She wasn't scared off by _me_. What could you do to scare her off, short of chase her with a knife and hockey mask?"

What a visual that was. "Kacchan, I just think I have to give her more time. That's all."

Bakugo sighed. "Scaredy-cat Deku strikes again. You're wastin' the gift I gave you, man. I went on a lame date with her just to make this possible."

"I swear, I'll get there." Midoriya puffed out his chest and made a brave smile. "You know me, the stubborn kid. I'll find a chance. I can make anything happen."

"For better or worse." Bakugo made a casual salute and walked off to go home. "Best of luck, Deku. Don't crash and burn."

"Just keep your quirk to yourself, and I won't," Midoriya teased back.

Bakugo chuckled and trotted off.

That was when Midoriya's phone rang.

"That's gotta be mom..." Midoriya drew his phone from his jeans pocket and blinked at the unexpected caller ID on the screen. He accepted the call. "Denki?"

"M-Midoriya!" Denki's voice blubbered on the phone. Whoa, Midoriya could smell the pathetic from here. "I-I'm in trouble, man!"

"Whoa, just settle down," Midoriya said. "What's the matter?"

"J-just come here!"

"Okay, be right there..." Midoriya felt apprehension as he shut off his phone and jogged to the Kaminari house, which was just a block away from here. Did he break a leg or erase all the music on his computer by accident? Was he being chased by a madman with a knife and hockey mask?

That wouldn't be the weirdest thing that ever happened to Denki...

"Oh, Izuku. Welcome," a blond man who was no doubt Denki's dad said when he answered the door. "Are you here to see Denki? He's not feeling well."

"Yeah, something like that. Thanks for inviting me in." Midoriya changed into guest house slippers and followed the directions to Denki's room. He knocked on the door, and a low moan answered. Taking that as a yes, Midoriya rolled his eyes and stepped inside.

Denki sat huddled in blankets in the middle of his queen-sized bed, a box of tissues nearby whi8le about a thousand crumpled, used tissues lay around him. Even worse, a sad breakup song played on his laptop's speakers.

Aside from all that, this place was a little more gaudy than Midoriya expected; the blankets were weird colors, and Denki had a strange assortment of a dartboard, a collection of baseball caps, a basketball, and action movie posters on the wall. The room had a delicate scent somewhere between stale Doritos and used basketball shoes. Terrific.

Midoriya shut the door behind him. "So, what's the emergency?"

"I-it's Mina!" Denki sniffed and reached for another tissue. "She won't answer my texts or calls at all, man! She's givin' me the cold shoulder, and it's freakin' me out!"

Midoriya sat at the desk's chair and lowered the laptop's speaker volume. "What was the last thing she said to you?" he asked politely. His friends liked to say that he was the Steve Harvey of their group, so here he was, dispensing more relatively good advice. At least, it always beat the gems that Aoyama and Mineta managed to come up with.

Denki blew his nose, tears bubbling in his eyes. "Uh, she said... she said 'Denki, I need more time to think about this. Give me some space.'"

"Uh-huh?"

"Don't 'uh-huh' me, Deku!" Denki threw up his arms in dismay, scattering crumpled tissues everywhere like popcorn. "That's where relationships go to die. I think..." He slumped forward and went face-down on his bed. "I think she broke up with me, Deku. It's over, isn't it?" He groaned and moaned like a ghost fighting indigestion.

"Not necessarily," Midoriya said, trying to sound helpful and not show his hard he was mentally rolling his eyes. "Don't get ahead of yourself. You and Mina just recently got together. She needs to figure out the pacing and what she wants out of the relationship. Normally, this is the honeymoon period for a new relationship, but I guess she's being more cautious than that. It's not necessarily such a bad thing."

Denki sprang back upright with a disbelieving look on his face. "What are you, _Cosmopolitan_?"

Midoriya snorted. "You called me here."

Denki made a faint grin. "Oh, yeah."

"Seriously, though, it sounds like you're making things up, Denki."

"No I'm not!" Denki seized his head and made another groan. "She's been giving me the silent treatment, and before that, she started acting all moody and kept being all passive aggressive! And yes, I can spot those things for myself!" he added, giving Midoriya an accusing look. "I-I think she can't stand me, Deku! She totally hates me!"

Midoriya racked his brains. Mina was one of the most popular girls in the school, always gossiping about others and getting gossiped about in return (what a life). Did Midoriya's ears catch anything about Mina recently? Well, Jiro voiced an assumption that Mina was going to get braces soon, but that didn't seem relevant... a girl from class 1-B criticized a hair accessory Mina once wore, but that wasn't relevant either... hmmmmm...

Denki sniffed again. "What do I do, man? Either she broke up with me, or she's gonna do it soon!"

Midoriya exhaled slowly. "Let me guess: you haven't had a chance to talk it over with her?"

"I can't even get a 'like' from her on Facebook."

"Whoa, that's rough."

"So what do I do?"

This wasn't how Midoriya planned to spend his afternoon, but hell, Denki was a friend, and so was Mina. Looked like this was a job for the Steve Harvey of this harebrained town!

Midoriya grinned and clasped his hands together. "I'll get everything ready by tomorrow," he said. "You get all the dudes in classes 1-A and 1-B ready."

Denki looked hopeful. "What for? Do you have a plan?"

"Just let me work my magic."


	15. Chapter 15

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 15: The Pursuit of Knowledge (try to keep a straight face while you're at it)**

Midoriya wasn't the type to abandon a friend in need, especially not a big baby like Denki Kaminari, so in homeroom, he sent a few strategic paper notes to Iida and Bakugo, and all through his morning classes, Midoriya had his mind on the mission and barely even noticed what Present Mic was saying in class (not that Present Mic ever said anything comprehensible anyway). All the while, Midoriya kept giving Denki little nods of encouragement and even a wink, and Denki looked a little happier.

Then the lunch bell finally rang, and it was time to send in the squad.

"I must say, Midoriya, this is a most intriguing idea," Tenya Iida said as he sat down at the table with Midoriya and Bakugo, setting down his lunch tray. "A sociology experiment? I am impressed!"

Bakugo snorted. "Don't flatter him, Iida. Or me. We're just trying to get dumbass Denki back into shape, and we're gonna cheat our way there."

Iida stiffened. "I am opposed to all forms of cheating!"

Bakugo took a bite of his sandwich. "Chicken out if you want, four-eyes."

"I am no chicken! And I am proud of my glasses!" Iida barked. He noticed a few people staring at him, so he went pink and lowered his voice. "Just please tell me that we are doing this for the most honest of reasons."

Midoriya pointed with his chopsticks. "I'm trying to help a friend. How does that sit with you?"

Iida nodded in approval. "I am ready to start."

"Great." Midoriya drew out the three sheets of paper he'd been hiding under his shirt and gave the other guys pencils. "Start interviewing. Iida, you take that table over there, and Kacchan, try that table near the windows."

Bakugo made a sly grin as he stood up. "Oh, the things I'll ask 'em..."

Midoriya pouted. "Just don't be a creep! You're not gonna freak them out, are you?"

"Hey, you know me, Deku." Bakugo gave Midoriya a light punch on the arm and departed for his mission.

Iida looked confused. "Was that a yes or a no?"

Midoriya sighed. "You never know with , let's start."

Trying not to feel self-conscious, Midoriya got up and approached a nearby table, mentally reciting his lines as he tried not to sweat. Damn, this suddenly felt really intimidating, like he was stepping onto a stage. Break a leg, Deku!

At the target table, Tsuyu, Momo, Jiro, and Mina were all laughing and chatting with two girls from class 1-B, and they looked up when Midoriya nervously approached them and cleared his throat.

"Hey there, Izuku," Toru said warmly. "What's up?"

"U-uh, um..." Midoriya swallowed and felt himself go red. "Y-you see, Iida's big brother Tensei is doing a project for his sociology class in college, so, um..."

He faltered as all the girls giggled at him.

"So, you need a lady's perspective, huh?" Jiro said with an expression not unlike Bakugo's. She casually rested her chin on one hand, twirling one of her earphone jacks with her finger.

"Something like that," Midoriya said evasively. He motioned. "C-can I join you for a few minutes?"

The girls giggled again as Mina motioned to the empty seat next to her. Feeling like a lamb in a den of lionesses, Midoriya sat and prepared to write. He felt all eyes on him.

"So..." Midoriya said, trying to sound professional (fat chance). "Girls, what is the number one thing you look for in a relationship?"

Jiro and Mina stifled loud giggles behind their hands, and Momo went pink. "Wh-who's asking?" she said quickly.

"It's for Iida's brother," Midoriya said, going with the same story that Iida and Bakugo were using. "He needs a large sample size, so..." he motioned. "Any honest answer is okay with me."

Jiro could barely contain herself. "S-sorry," she choked out, motioning with a hand. "I can't believe one of the dorks has the spine to just ask that."

Midoriya narrowed his eyes. "I'm sitting right here."

"You sure are." Jiro fanned herself and tried to stop giggling. "Okay, uh... since it's for Iida's brother, can I admit something that _no one else is allowed to hear?"_

Midoriya's hairs stood up on end as Jiro loomed huge over him with flames everywhere, her eyes glowing and her teeth sharp. "J-Jiro?!"

Jiro seized Midoriya's shirt collar. "Swear to me, little boy!"

"I-I swear! Apparently..."

"Good." Jiro's demon aura vanished and was replaced with sparkles and roses as she made a sentimental face. "I actually like really romantic guys who dress nice and give you roses just because, and they'll write little personal notes in the flowers and will watch Netflix with you all night."

Momo looked impressed. "That was wonderful, Kyoka."

Midoriya hurried to write that down. "I never would have guessed."

"I know." Jiro beamed, then grabbed both of Midoriya's shoulders and shook him hard, her fire aura back. " _But don't you dare tell anyone!"_

"I won't! Lips are sealed!"

Jiro calmed down and sat back. "Thanks."

Midoriya gave her a resentful look. "And the survey is anonymous anyway."

Jiro resumed twirling her earphone jack and glanced away. "Sure, sure..."

Midoriya rounded on Tsuyu. "How about you? What is the number one thing you want in a relationship?"

"Trust," Tsuyu said without hesitation. "I can't be with someone if I can't know that they will always be faithful and act in the relationship's best interest. And I always try to be someone others can trust, too. Ribbit."

 _Finally, a really good answer_. Midoriya wrote it down. "Toru, how about you?"

"Ooooooh!" Toru waved her arms (judging by how her sleeves moved). "I want to date a guy who takes me to the carnival and the arcade and wins me stuffed teddy bears! 'Cause they're cute!"

Midoriya winced. "That wasn't quite the right answer..."

"Well, it's _my_ answer," Toru insisted. "No teddies, no date."

Midoriya tried not to roll his eyes as he wrote it. "Momo, how about you?"

Momo struck up a classy pose, with a background of harps and cherubs. "Oh, what I want most out of a meaningful relationship is a sense of adventure and excitement. I would want every day to show me a new side of myself and him."

"Got it." Midoriya wrote it down. "Adventure, huh?"

"I can buy myself anything I want," Momo added, unaware of how the other girls glared at her. "I don't want for material things or vacations. Rather..." She made a dainty sigh. "I want a relationship where I can break out of the tedium and find new vistas to ascend with my beloved..." She stared wistfully into the distance.

"Dream on, princess," Jiro muttered.

 _Momo gets kind of oblivious sometimes..._ Midoriya turned to one of the girls from class 1-B. "Pony Tsunotori, right? What do you want most in a relationship?"

The petite girl blushed and looked away, gently clapping her hand to her cheeks. "Uh... um..." she stammered.

Mina made a sympathetic noise. "She's really shy, Izuku, especially around boys. She just likes to hang out with us. Plus, she's still learning Japanese."

"Oh. All right." Midoriya carefully reached out and patted Pony's back. "You don't have to answer if you don't want to."

"Oh. Um..." Pony timidly pressed her index fingertips together, staring down at them. "Well..."

"I'm listening."

Pony beamed. "Fun!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Like... with riding horses. Feed horses. Go to horse show with boyfriend. Have stuffed horsie." Pony giggled. "You like horses, Izuku? I like horses."

"Uh... I guess?" The last time Midoriya tried to ride one of those things, he got thrown off, and his furious mom had nearly thrown the horse trainer off the stable roof.

Good times.

Izuku wrote "obsessed with horses" onto the paper and turned to the other 1-B girl. "Reiko Yanagi, right? How about you? What do you want the most in a relationship?"

The girl, who had a blank expression and held her hands limply like a zombie, stared at him. Her lips barely moved.

Izuku made a bracing smile. "Are you feeling all right?"

"I want a man who will take me to the cemetery," Reiko abruptly said, "who will play guessing games with me on the tombstones and eat a picnic on the oldest grave for good luck and we'll tame the crows and challenge the haunted spirits to truth or dare and we'll -"

Pony shrieked and clapped a hand over Rin's mouth. "Sc-scary!" she cried. "No ghost! No grave! Okay?"

Reiko said something muffled from behind Pony's hand but didn't resist. She shrugged.

"She talk a lot," Pony told Midoriya. "Scary sometimes. See?"

Midoriya sighed and wrote "loves creepy things" on his paper and looked over his answers. Only Tsuyu's response was really useful. He prayed for good luck and turned to Mina. "How about you?"

"Um..." Mina glanced up, and this time, Midoriya knew exactly what Mina had on her mind. This was the mission; get Mina to explain her relationship problem without realizing this was all about her.

 _I'm a genius!_ Midoriya imagined himself as a mad scientist who, despite his charred white lab coat, held up the beaker that had the magic elixir of how girls think. Eureka!

"What I want most in a relationship is... um... well -"

Mina was cut off when Bakugo erupted. "What kind of stupid question is that?" he roared. "Who cares if it's a Ferris wheel or a merry-go-round?!"

Nearby students bust out laughing, and like usual, Bakugo failed to notice when he was making a scene. Midoriya rolled his eyes and got up. "Excuse me, everyone. I have a fire to put out. Not literally, I hope..."

"But I want to know which," the vine-haired girl, Ibara Shiozaki, said earnestly. "Is this hypothetical date ending on a merry-go-round or the Ferris wheel? I've got to know which."

Bakugo ground his teeth. "Flip a damn coin and decide!"

"Please don't use swear words!"

"Fine! Which do you want?"

"You may decide if you like, Katsuki. Paint me a mental image."

"Uh... the Ferris wheel 'cause it's bigger...?"  
Midoriya gave everyone an apologetic smile and eased Bakugo away from the table of class 1-B students. "Thank you for your time, everyone. We're just practicing a comedy skit. Don't mind us..." He escorted Bakugo back to their original seat and sighed. "What was _that_ all about, Kacchan?"

"Everyone at this school is such a dork," Bakugo said with a snort. "No offense, Deku."

"Some taken."

"All these people are asking dumb questions," Bakugo said with another snort. Whoa, two snorts in a row. Bakugo wasn't playing games here.

"But did you get any good answers? What did you ask?"

"I asked 'what's your dream date?' and the answers were..." Bakugo cleared his throat and read aloud. "The arcade, the arcade, fishing, literally nothing, Netflix, and the arcade." He lowered his paper. "I guess Denki has to make up with Mina at the arcade. I hear the air hockey table is so romantic this time of year."

Midoriya chuckled. "Sorry about that, Kacchan. We'll just have to keep trying."

Bakugo swiped Midoriya's paper. "What did you ask?"

"What the main thing they want in a relationship is."

Bakugo scanned the list. "Who the hell did you ask?"

"Uh... that foreigner girl with the horns, Momo, Tsuyu, that weird ghost girl from class 1-B, and Jir -"

Midoriya suddenly remembered Kyoka Jiro's demon aura and he winced. "S-some girl from class 1-C who happened to be there. No one we know! Just some girl!"

Bakugo nodded in appreciation at the list. "So according to this, Denki should give Mina roses on horseback in a graveyard. Sounds like a Tim Buron movie."

Midoriya blinked. "You watch Tim Burton movies?"

Bakugo rolled his eyes. "No, but my mom is nuts about them. Just when I get the music from _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ out of my head, she replaces it with the _Beetlejuice_ theme song. I'm gonna go psycho at this rate."

 _Already there, buddy._ Midoriya scratched his head. "Well... this is kind of a bust. Unless Iida got better answers?"

Both boys waited until Tenya Iida returned with his own paper, but any hopes for useful information were dashed when Iida set down the paper.

"I am not sure what to make of this," Iida said, sliding the paper across the table to Midoriya and Bakugo. "I asked the girls to give numerical scores to everything that they could want in a relationship, and this is the result."

Midoriya took one look at the paper and felt like he'd require a master's degree in statistics to make sense of this crazy mess of numbers and charts. He'd need about three more brains to untangle this thing!

Bakugo whistled. "What's all that? It looks like the equation to solve the mysteries of the universe."

Iida adjusted his glasses. "I subjected the girls to a rigorous examination based on their emotional processing, their social dynamics with boys, their self-perception, and how this information integrates into the larger body of modern sociology and statistics!"

Bakugo started folding up the paper. "Yeah. Uh-huh. Go on, four-eyes."

Iida stared. "Katsuki Bakugo! What are you doing?"

"Making... this thing... useful," Bakugo muttered as he narrowed his eyes in concentration. He held up the finished paper airplane, took aim, and threw it. It sailed clear across the cafeteria, drawing a few curious looks along the way.

"Yowch!" Eijiro Kirishima yelped when Bakugo's paper airplane nailed him in the right eyeball. Other students burst out laughing.

Iida made an indignant noise. "What was _that_ for?"

Bakugo shrugged. "He still owes me 4,000 yen for when I let him cash to buy that new Wii-U game. I'm sending a message."

Iida sighed. "You are evil sometimes, Katsuki Bakugo."

"I try to pace myself." Bakugo glanced at Midoriya. "Dammit, Deku, what are we supposed to do now?"

"Um..." Midoriya caught Denki's eye, and the other boy gave him a hopeful pair of thumbs-up. Midoriya returned the gesture, but he felt guilty about it. "Let's try again tomorrow. Fresh start." He extended a hand. "Team Fix-The-Relationship!"

"A noble endeavor!" Iida put his hand over Midoriya's, and Bakugo reluctantly did the same. The three boys raised their hands at the same time as a gesture of team solidarity.

This plan was going to crash and burn, wasn't it?

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya studied hard that night. Not on his classwork, but on the questionnaire that he'd present to the girls the next day! Denki and Mina's relationship was on the line here, and those were some high stakes. And in that morning's homeroom, he passed copies of his new and improved questionnaire to Bakugo and Iida, and prepared himself for the hard work ahead of him.

The lunch bell rang.

It was showtime.

Except the girls made their move first. Huh?

"Hey, guys," Mina said cheerily as she, Ochaco, Toru, and Itsuka Kendo approached Midoriya's table. The girls all held papers and pens. "My cousin is taking a sociology class at the community college and she asked me to help her collect some data. How'd you like to help out?"

Midoriya was halfway through getting out his own questionnaire when he froze. "Huh?"

"I thought your cousins lived in Yokohama," Bakugo said.

Mina blushed. "Well, one of them lives here! So aren't you all gonna help me?"

"Of course we will!" Iida bolted to his feet and bowed abruptly. "I will do anything for the pursuit of knowledge. Your cousin's work is in good hands!"

"Whoa there, champ. Don't speak for me." Bakugo had veins standing out on his face as he forced Iida back into his seat. "Who said I'd help?"

Midoriya elbowed Bakugo to get his attention and glanced covertly in Denki's direction, then glanced at Mina.

The gears in Bakugo's head cranked until he finally got it, and he settled back down. "Okay, fine, whatever."

"Great! Let's get started." Mina sat down opposite Iida and Bakugo, while Toru sat across from Denki and Yosetsu Awase from class1-B. Ochaco, meanwhile, beamed as she sat across from Midoriya.

"This is gonna be fun," Ochaco said, going a little pink. "I get to pick your brain, Deku. You're such a smart guy."

"Th-thanks, Ochaco." Midoriya tried to suppress a wide grin as his heart raced excitedly. Ochaco looked so happy, and she was about to probe the deepest depths of his mind! Wait, that sounded kind of insidious phrased like that... she was gonna expose his inner secrets! No, that was worse. Well...

"What is your idea of commitment?" Ochaco asked, pen poised over her paper.

"Hmmmmmm..." Midoriya rubbed his chin. He knew what Ochaco and Mina were doing, but he had to either give his honest answer or something that Mina and Denki needed to hear to fix their relationship. What to do...

"Knowing that every day, I get the pleasure of seeing the same wonderful girl by my side," Midoriya said. Maybe he ought to give those two buffoons a sense of gratitude to each other to ease their hostile feelings. That could work.

Ochaco beamed. "That's so sweet, Deku. Let me write that down." She scribbled something in hiragana and looked back up. "What does healthy communication look like?"

 _Sheesh, Mina's questions are on point._ Midoriya realized that his own questionnaire was beating around the bush compared to this. "Uh... healthy communication..." Midoriya glanced around, checking out both Mina (who was getting annoyed by Bakugo's snide responses) and Denki (who cowered under Toru's invasive, rapid-fire interview assault). What did those dunderheads need for better communication?  
"It means that both people in a couple share what's important to the relationship, and not just what's important to them," Midoriya finally said.

Ochaco held a hand over her heart. "You're such a gentleman, Deku! I've gotta write that down before I forget it!" She scribbled down his answer and idly tapped her pen on her paper. "Question three: if you found out that your girlfriend only had six months to live, what would you do?"

Midoriya made the mortal mistake of taking a sip of his juice at that moment and he nearly choked. "What?!"

Ochaco giggled. "Sorry. Mina's cousin needs a question based on, uh, a sense of urgency."

 _Cousin, my foot!_ Midoriya scratched his head. "I'm guessing that taking her on her dream vacation is a bit cliche, right?"

"Whatever's your honest answer is okay with me."

"Uh..." Midoriya glanced at Denki and Mina again, and this time, Ochaco said something.

"How come you look at Denki and Mina after each question?"

"They, uh... they're looking pretty good today," Midoriya blurted out.

Ochaco smiled. "I know. Mina's new eye shadow is really pretty."

 _I didn't even notice. Lucky coincidence._ Midoriya cleared his throat. "I'll just give a general answer and say I'd cherish the time we have left instead of dreading what comes afterwards."

Ochaco wrote that down. "Close enough."

"Close enough?"

"Oops!" Ochaco gasped and clapped her hands over her mouth. "I mean... well..." Now she was the one who glanced at both Denki and Mina, going even redder.

Midoriya decided to play dumb, even though he knew darn well that this was Mina's return fire for Midoriya's interviews yesterday. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"F-fine! Thanks!" Ochaco nervously fumbled with her paper and pen. "When y-you meet a girl you really like, how do you express it?"

Midoriya nearly gasped himself. No way! Mina couldn't have assigned that question... it came straight from Ochaco herself!

 _Oh man, oh man..._ Midoriya realized that the same angel/devil pair appeared on his shoulders as the time he walked with Ochaco at the hotel park. The tough guy adjusted his sunglasses. "She's into you, kiddo!" the devil Midoriya said. "Make your move, pal! Throw yourself at her while you still got the chance!"

"Ridiculous," the gentleman Midoriya said as he shook his head. "Be subtle. Ease her to you, like how you hold out your hand for a butterfly."

Devil Midoriya scoffed. "Lame!"

Midoriya brushed both shoulders and imagined both mini versions being swept off. He cleared his throat again and stalled for time. "That's a pretty gutsy question."

Ochaco managed to go even redder. "I-I mean, it's just for Mina's cousin's project... oh!" She kept fiddling with her pen until she dropped it, and she bent to pick it up.

Midoriya took this chance to steal her paper and check for anything odd. Sure enough, he saw "find out what Denki's up to!" written in Mina's handwriting, the characters all underlined twice. He hastily put the paper back just as Ochaco sat back up.

"Did you think of an answer?" Ochaco asked, avoiding eye contact. She acted bashful, clasping her hands in her lap.

 _She's just so darn cute when she's flustered!_ Midoriya tried to hide a wide smile. "I'd just make her feel special, like she's the only girl I can think about. I'd be her friend, and I'd be there for anything else, too."

Ochaco giggled. "You're so old-fashioned." She wrote it down. "But I love it."

Meanwhile, Toru Hagakure wasn't having as much luck.

"What's your idea of healthy communication?" the invisible girl asked her two subjects.

Denki merely shrugged and looked away while Yosetsu Awase leaned forward, a confident look on his face. "Let me tell ya this, babe. My parents bought this killer new hot tub, and I could have a nice long chat with any chick in that thing once the water's hot enough."

Toru made an excited noise. "Your parents have a hot tub? Can I try it sometime?"

Yosetsu made a sly grin. "How many hot friends ya got?"

Denki snorted.

"Oh! I have another question!" Toru held up her paper to read off of it. "What's your idea of commitment?"

"Givin' my girl a free pass to the Awase hot tub whenever she likes it," Yosetsu said with a smirk. "My parents are out of town all the time. We'd get the place to ourselves."

"Oh, quit showin' off," Denki grumbled.

"Question three!" Toru cheered. "If you found out that your girlfriend only had six months to live, what would you do?"

Yosetsu reclined in his seat. "Bring her to my hot tub."

"Dude! Shut up!" Denki erupted, throwing up both hands. Yosetsu didn't seem to notice.

Mina wasn't getting far, either.

"That's not a real answer, Katsuki!" Mina snapped. "I asked what healthy communication means to you! 'Just chill' isn't an answer!"

"But it's my real answer," Bakugo retorted.

"I'm not talking about hanging out with your guy friends!" Mina told him, thumping both fists on the table. "Say something real!"

"Uh..."

Midoriya, meanwhile, shot Bakugo a look that clearly said _Dude. Shape up._

Bakugo shaped up.

"It means always having an honest dialogue for the good of the relationship," Bakugo said hastily before he could screw it up.

Mina looked happier as she wrote that down. "Okay, good. What is your idea of commitment?"

"Third base. I mean...!" Bakugo held up both hands palm-out to calm everyone down. "I mean, it means hangin' in there even when times are tough. Especially when times are tough, because that's when commitment is tested."

Mina smiled. "That's wonderful, Katsuki. It made me forget what an ogre you are."

"That's the nicest thing any girl ever said to me."

Iida slapped a hand over his face.

"Another question!" Toru told Denki and Yosetsu. "What would you do if your girlfriend was mad at you and didn't tell you why?"  
Yosetsu snapped his fingers. "I got it!"

"What?" Denki grumbled.

"Take her to my hot tub."

"I'll kill you!" Denki tackled Yosetsu to the floor and both boys enjoyed a good mock fight that Yosetsu totally won.

"Okay, that's enough, bozos," Itsuka Kendo said grumpily, holding up both boys by their uniform collars like they were bags of potatoes (whoa, that girl had serious strength).

"I won that," Yosetsu said with pride.

"Barely," Denki said hastily.

Itsuka dropped them both to the floor. "Unbelievable..."

Both Yotsetu and Denki shook hands. "No hard feelings, right?" Yosetsu asked.

"None," Denki said with a wide grin.

Ochaco giggled again. "They're so funny. So, um..." She glanced down at her paper again, even though she had already written down an answer for the final question. "What kind of girls do you like, Deku?"

Midoriya could have sworn he just shot through the roof and ended up in the stratosphere. Ochaco was going straight for the prize! What a champ!

And Midoriya honestly wasn't sure what the answer was besides "Ochaco Uraraka."

"Uh..." Midoriya made a nervous smile as he scratched his hair, looking this way and that. "Y'know... well..."

Ochaco leaned forward eagerly, her lovely brown eyes fixed right on her subject. "What is it?" she asked breathlessly.

"Well... I mean..." Midoriya gestured vaguely, and then his and Ochaco's eyes met, and they kept their gazes locked way longer than an interviewer and subject should. Midoriya felt the heat rise in his face as Ochaco's eyes widened as she took in Midoriya's unspoken meaning.

"N-never mind!" Ochaco drew back and turned away, hands over her bright red face. "I just made that one up! The interview's over! Thanks for helping!" She snatched up her paper and dashed across the cafeteria and toward the girls' bathroom.

Momo watched Ochaco go and stood up. "Please excuse me. I must visit the lavatory," she said loftily, then sprinted across the cafeteria and into the bathroom.

"I-I gotta use the toilet!" Toru bolted to her feet and scrambled across the cafeteria and to, you guessed it, the girls' room.

"Whoa," Denki said. "Those girls must've drank too much water."

Yosetsu clapped a hand over his face. "Dumbass. Girls all go to the bathroom together when they have somethin' super important to talk about."

"I'll be right back," Mina told Bakugo and Iida, and she made it four for four.

Denki gasped. "This means...!" He shared a gaze with Midoriya that clearly said _Mina's up to something!_

Deku nodded. "We're almost there, Denki."

"Where?" Iida asked.

"To academic achievement, of course," Midoriya added.

Iida saluted. "Of course! Do your best, everyone!"

Iida was smart, but it was weirdly easy to trick him sometimes.

By the time the bell rang that ended lunch hour, Midoriya joined his classmates in algebra class, he was feeling pretty confident in the plan. And if the universe cooperated with him _just this once_ , Mina and Denki could put their squabbling behind them. Those kids could use a break.

And the way Ochaco looked into his eyes when she asked those questions, with that maiden's longing... it gave him goosebumps.

What a good day.


	16. Chapter 16

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 16: The All-Or-Nothing Gamble (are you feeling lucky?)**

Homeroom on October 14th would have been nice and quiet, but Toru Hagakure burst into the classroom five minutes late, holding two flyers in her hands. "Guys! Guys!" she cried.

Aizawa gave her an annoyed look. "You're late, Hagakure. And what's with the noise? I've already got a headache from last night..." He rubbed his head as though daring everyone to ask what he was doing the night prior. No one was feeling brave enough to look under _that_ rock.

"But... look!" Toru lowered her voice to an excited whisper as she showed the colorful flyers to everyone, skipping through the aisles between the desks. "It's Yu Takeyama the pop idol! She's coming into town tonight! Can you believe it?"

Momo looked curious as she looked up from browsing her history book. "Who is that?"

"Who? _Who?_ " Toru sounded outraged at Momo's ignorance, and she hopped right over and shoved both flyers in Momo's face. "Only Japan's hottest pop idol, that's who! I never thought she'd come into town!"

"Hey, I've heard of her," Jiro said, her eyes widening. "Mom mentioned her... isn't she doing her farewell tour right now?"

Toru waved both flyers around like a bird's wings. "That's right, which is why we gotta go! It's our last chance to see the woman herself! Who's with me?"

Bakugo snorted. "Were you late 'cause you stole those poster things from telephone poles? I can see the staples in 'em."

"Uh... well..." Toru hid the flyers behind her back. "F-forget that! You wanna go, Katsuki?"

"I'd rather jump off a bridge."

Steam shot from where Toru's ears probably were. "You're so mean, Katsuki. Lots of people like her! She's got hit songs like 'Tomorrow's Valentine' and 'Passion Thursday'! She's been on the radio all the time."

"Can't hear the radio when I'm on my PlayStation on full volume."

"Come on, who wants to go with me? She'll be at Yuuna park at 6:00," Toru pleaded with her classmates. She started doing a funny happy dance. "I'll buy motchi for whoever comes with me."

"Motchi?" Ochaco bolted to her feet with an excited look as though Toru offered her a fat stack of yen. "Count me in! Deku, you could come with me! It'll be fun!"

"M-me?" Midoriya, who was reviewing English verb tenses for this afternoon's class, perked up when Ochaco invited him, and he felt an eager grin tug at the corners of his lips. Not that he was dying to hear "Tomorrow's Valentine" live, but Ochaco was inviting him out? Was this... _their first date?_

"Of course I will!" he said automatically.

"Great!" Ochaco beamed and went pink. "We can go together since we're neighbors. Bring a jacket. It might get chilly."

"S-sure thing." Midoriya gave her two trembling thumbs up and tried not to jump onto his desk and whoop with joy. This was happening! Something changed in the Uraraka girl recently... was it Midoriya's great answers on the relationship survey? Ochaco was definitely after something with those questions.

Speaking of that survey and results...

Midoriya tapped Denki's shoulder. "Take Mina," he told the other boy.

Denki jumped and went red. "S-say what?"

"I'm going with Ochaco. Make it a group date, Denki. Everyone likes concerts."

"I-I don't like music," Denki blurted out.

"Bull," Bakugo said with another snort. "I've seen your iPod playlist before. You'd do great at a pop idol concert."

"That's my guilty pleasure!" Denki erupted, throwing up both hands. "Don't tell anyone that I'm into pop music like Yu Takeyama!"

"He doesn't have to, because you just did," Shoto pointed out.

Denki winced. "Busted."

"So are you taking her or not?" Midoriya persisted.

"Uh..." Denki turned to Bakugo for a second opinion, and as a response, Bakugo glanced at Midoriya and traced a finger along his throat. The message was clear: _do what Deku says or die!_

Tact wasn't Bakugo's thing.

Denki cleared his throat, his face still red. "H-hey, Mina, how'd you like to go to that Yu Takeyama concert with me?"

Mina looked sour as she opened up her math book and held it up over her face. "No."

Even Aizawa looked shocked.

"Huh?" Denki stared at her with his mouth open, his default expression whenever any sort of challenge came along. "Wh-why not?"

"I have homework," Mina said quickly.

Momo blinked, then reached over and put a hand on Mina's shoulder. "I'll do you a favor, Mina. I'll do your homework for you just this once, so you can have a nice date with your boyfriend."

"No."

Momo looked dismayed as she withdrew her hand. "The one time I bend the rules, I don't even get anything for it," she lamented. Jiro patted her back to comfort her.

Denki hung his head. "I guess it's _Ultraman_ reruns for me tonight..."

The bell rang to start first period, and Midoriya definitely felt like the Yu Takeyama concert lost its edge when he got up with the others. Mina wasn't playing ball at all, and Denki didn't have the nerve to get anything done... Midoriya clenched a fist. There had to be a solution! Somehow, some way!

*o*o*o*o*

"Somehow" didn't present itself during that day, though, and both Mina and Denki were definitely avoiding Midoriya in class, even during P.E. when coach Yagi put them on the same volleyball team for class. Things were getting pretty icy even without Shoto's quirk.

All the same, Midoriya slipped on his jacket and shoes, and said bye to his mom as he stepped into the front porch early that evening. Sure enough, Ochaco was waiting for him, eagerly bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped behind her back as she beamed.

"H-hi," she said, going pink. "You look nice."

"Huh?" Deku looked down at his jacket, red shoes, and slightly worn jeans. "Uh, thanks. You too."

Ochaco giggled. "Let's get going." She took his hand and led him across the front lawn and to the park, humming to herself in the evening light.

"Something on your mind?" Midoriya asked. "I mean, besides the concert..."

"It's a surprise," Ochaco said mysteriously. "Hey, Deku, when was the last time you went to a live concert?"

"Uh, I once saw Tomoyasu Hotei with my mom a few years back in Osaka."

"Whoa! Really? I've always wanted to hear him live," Ochaco said warmly. "Was it fun?"

"Yeah," Midoriya said, recalling that rather lively concert. "My mom almost lost her mind when he played her favorite song."

"Which one?"

"Uh, it was..."

"Uh-huh?"

They fell easily into conversation after that, and Midoriya forgot all about his Denki-Mina issue as he walked to Yuuna park with his favorite girl in the world. When they got close, Midoriya could hear the chattering crowd already, and he saw the lighting scaffolding over the stage. Lots of people already had glowsticks and other concert stuff.

"Oh, I think it's almost starting. Let's hurry!" Ochaco held Midoriya's hand tight as she jogged to the crowd with the others, and once they bought two tickets from the makeshift booth, Ochaco led Midoriya somewhere near the crowd's rear.

"Where are we going?" Midoriya asked breathlessly. "I can't see much from back here."

"Look!" Ochaco pointed and waved, and to Midoriya's surprise, there were Denki and Mina, with Denki giving a timid wave back and Mina looking like she wanted to be as small and hard to see as possible. Right next to them, Toru was waving three glowsticks in each hand.

"Izuku! Ochaco! There you are!" Toru hurried to her two friends and wrapped Ochaco in a tight hug. "I was afraid you weren't gonna make it, or the group date would be ruined."

"Don't worry, we wouldn't miss it for the world," Ochaco said with a flustered smile. "Toru, you're a strong hugger."

"Right? That's what everyone says." Toru let Ochaco go and waved around her glow sticks as she spun in a circle. "The gang's all here! Minus that jerk Katsuki..."

"Nice to see you," Midoriya said, trying to be cautious around the tense Denki-Mina pair. "You guys are looking great."

"Yeah, sure," Mina muttered, looking away. Denki waved again as he made a grimace.

Midoriya leaned closer to where he guessed Toru's ear was. "How'd you get them here?"

"I've got my methods," Toru said slyly. "But you totally owe me 2,000 yen and some taiyaki for this, Izuku."

Midoriya recoiled. "Why?"

"Call it the fee for my skills!"

"I should have known..."

The crowd erupted and everyone turned to the stage as the pop idol herself appeared on stage, waving to all her fans. From here, Midoriya could just make out her purple and white outfit: a sleeveless purple blouse with orange highlights, white gloves, a flared-out purple and white dress, and knee-high orange boots and a huge purple bow tie in her wavy blonde hair.

"Hi, everyone! How are you doing tonight?" Yu Takeyama cried as she waved with her free hand (the other held a mic covered in pink and white glitter), and the crowd went nuts, most of all the petite Toru.

"Oh, I'm so glad to hear that," Yu said, putting a hand over her heart. "It pains me so much to leave the pop idol business and say good-bye to all my loving fans. But if you love my concert tonight, that'll make it all worth it! Okaaaaaaaay?" She acted flirty with that last word, and everyone, mostly the dudes went crazy with that last part.

"Argh! I'm too short!" Toru complained as she kept hopping to see over everyone's heads. "Izuku, if you weren't here with your girlfriend, I'd totally hop on your back to see better."

"What the -" Midoriya nearly choked and he shared a quick look with Ochaco, who was just as red in the face as Midoriya felt. He motioned. "W-we're friends, Toru. Chill out."

"Huh? But..." Toru turned to face Ochaco, then back to Midoriya. "Aren't you guys...?"  
"Friends," Midoriya repeated. He just didn't want Toru literally getting on his back, but dammit, that meant friend-zoning himself with Ochaco around! Thanks for the dilemma, Toru!

Ochaco looked annoyed and she glanced away.

Yu spread her arms wide and beamed as the lights all focused on her as the starting chords of "Tomorrow's Valentine" started, and the lights started going in patterns as she started singing. Her voice wasn't especially strong, but she put a lot of passion into it, and she really did sound great. Midoriya kept stealing glances at Mina and Denki, but he didn't see much progress in them so far. Not even Denki, the Yu Takeyama fan. What was up with those buffoons? They had to cheer up sooner or later!

Meanwhile, Yu got three songs in before she held the mic to her mouth and made a pained expression. "Beloved fans, I have a confession to make," she announced sadly. "I broke up with my boyfriend of two years, and to cope, I wrote this new song, called 'Over Yesterday.' I hope you like it."

And sure enough, it was a breakup song! Totally sad and dismal, and Midoriya realized wait a minute, were pop idols even allowed to have boyfriends? Well, Yu was publicly known for her rule-bending in the past...

Midoriya winced and actually clapped his hands over his ears as Yu shot anti-relationship rays in every direction. Sad and tear-jerking! What was he supposed to do with this?

But then her lyrics took a slightly more hopeful turn, about how the narrator of the song (obviously Yu herself) didn't regret the relationship, and knew where to find the beauty in all this and still have hope for herself. Well, that was a slight improvement...

Midoriya glanced at his friends again to find that both Mina and Denki were gone. Those damn kids!

"Be right back," Midoriya told Ochaco and Toru over the song, then scampered off across the open park when he saw Mina walking away under the light of a lamppost and Denki was going in a different direction. He hurried after Denki and grabbed the other boy's shoulders. "Denki!"

Denki stopped and turned to face Midoriya with a pained expression not unlike Yu's. "Watcha want, Izuku?"

Midoriya panted for breath. "Come on, Denki. What is this? You're letting Mina just walk away?"

"She doesn't wanna be here, man. She doesn't wanna be with me."

"So you've giving up on the girl you love?" Midoriya put a stern note in his voice. "It's not over yet, Denki Kaminari! You measure love by what it can survive, and I think your love for her can survive this." He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder at Mina. "Now get going."

"But -"

"Now!"

Denki braced himself and jogged after Mina, with Midoriya trailing away a moderate distance behind the other boy. Midoriya made sure to stay in earshot, though, and he took cover behind a few well-trimmed shrubs and watched as Denki approached Mina under the lamp's light.

"Mina," Denki said, his voice stronger and more clear than ever. "We've gotta talk."

"About what? Forget it. I'm going home." Mina actually turned up her nose and stalked away, until Denki reached out and gently took her hand.

"Denki -" Mina started.

"Can I just have five minutes?" Denki implored her. "Let me say my piece."

Mina turned to face him and withdrew her hand frim Denki's. "Fine."

Denki shoved his hands into his pockets and looked down at his feet. "I... I've kinda been a bad boyfriend lately, haven't I?"

"To say the least!" Mina erupted. "Denki, what's your deal? It's like you don't even care about our relationship! Or about me!" She raised her arms in fury, then lowered them and softened her expression. Tears started welling up in her dark eyes. "I wanted to be with you so badly, but I never..." She sniffed. "I never felt like you were serious about _us_. It was just goofing off at school and texting about whatever... but..."

Denki looked cautious. "But what?"

Mina's eyes watered. "D-Denki, don't you love me?"

"What the..." Denki looked shocked. "Of course I do! Mina, I love you! You're my girl! And I'm your guy! Did you really have to go and ask that out loud?"

"I did!" Mina held her fists by her side, eyes leaking tears. "I-I thought that since we were such good friends already, you'd be ready for the next level. I kept waiting for some sign that you were serious about us, but it was just fun and games to you. You were just stringing me along!"

She whirled and started off again. Midoriya held a hand tight over his mouth, disciplining himself not to get over there and say something. He expected a feud, but this was some serious stuff. Was this the end of Denki-Mina?!

"He'd better go after her," a girl's voice said nearby.

It was lucky that Midoriya had a hand over his mouth or he would have cried out. _What the?!_ He hastily turned and found both Ochaco and Toru sharing his shrub cover, both girls watching the drama unfold as the concert kept going in the background.

"We followed you," Toru whispered. "This is too juicy to miss!"

"Oh, I hope he does something," Ochaco said tensely, clasping her hands together under her chin. "Come on, Denki...!"

For a few seconds, Denki just watched his sobbing girlfriend stalk off... then, the blond doofus snapped himself out of it and hurried after her again. "Mina!" he cried.

Mina stopped and turned around, just in time for Denki to wrap her in a lover's embrace and kiss her.

"Goal!" Toru whispered with glee. "Checkmate! Strike! Yahtzee! All of them!"

 _Apparently,_ Midoriya thought, watching Denki try and untangle the mess that was his relationship.

"D-Denki..." Mina wiped her eyes and stared at her boyfriend in shock. "Wh-what's going on with you?"

"I think I figured it out," Denki said, his voice confident again. "Mina, I'm sorry. I think I took our friendship for granted, and... well, I was afraid to mess it up with a more serious relationship. I asked you out without being totally ready for the long haul. You didn't deserve that."

Mina kept staring at him in awe. "For real?"

"For real." Denki still held her, chin resting on Mina's shoulder. "I love you, Mina, and I think I'm ready for the next level you wanted. Whatever you want, I'll be with you. And I want it too."

"Denki!" Mina gasped with delight. She closed her eyes and hugged him back, a smile spreading across her face. "I love you, too. And I think this was kinda my fault, too."

"It was?"

"Yeah. Maybe I was trying to rush things when you weren't ready."

"Well -"

"I mean it," Mina insisted. "We're young, and so is our relationship. We need time to figure out our rhythm, right? Lots of couples do that. I should have said something."

"Like what?"

Mina giggled. "Oh, I dunno... but we were on totally different wavelengths, weren't we? And we were so stupid, trying to use surveys to figure this out when we just should have _talked_."

"Well, those surveys were kind of informative..."

Mina kept giggling. "Yeah, it was a lot of fun. But..." She broke up the hug just long enough to kiss her boyfriend. "Let's just be real with each other. No more games or cold shoulder. We can just take this at our pace and see where it leads us."

"I'm with you."

Mina beamed. "Then let's go back to my place and watch that new teen romance movie that's all the rage. We might get some ideas."

"Got any snacks and blankets?"

"Lots!"

"Lead the way, babe."

Denki let Mina take his hand and gently lead him out of the park and in the direction of her house, and once they were far enough away, both Ochaco and Toru leaped into the air with a loud "WOO HOO!"

Midoriya stood up too, a wide grin on his face. "I knew he could do it."

"This was your idea, wasn't it, Izuku?" Toru asked.

"Yeah, pretty much. Denki was dragging his feet. I had to get that chimp into shape."

Toru giggled. "We did it, guys! Up top!"

Based on her jacket's sleeve, she was offering a high five, and Midoriya and Ochaco each gave her a solid high five. "Hey, there's still time for the concert," Toru added. "I hope I didn't miss 'Lover Quarrel' yet. It's my favorite song!"

Midoriya made a teasing grin. "Didn't we just see a lover's quarrel?"

Toru giggled. "Very funny. Come on!"

Midoriya wasn't terribly interested in finishing the show, but Ochaco took his hand and led him right back to the crowd, and Midoriya was much more interested in that. Her hand felt warm in the cool October dusk, and she stayed very close to him as Yu Takeyama finished her show. By the time it was over, Midoriya's ears were ringing and he was sure he'd get a few of those songs stuck in his head soon, but he didn't mind at all as he led Ochaco back home, this time him being the one to take her hand. They stood on the Uraraka house front porch, unsure what to say next.

"Uh. So, um..." Ochaco blushed and looked away. "I-I had a good time. Didn't you?"

"Yeah, it was fun. Thanks for coming with me."

"But I invited _you_ , Izuku."

"Oh yeah."

Ochaco made an embarrassed smile and stared at a spot over Midoriya's shoulder. "So... will I see you at school tomorrow?"

"Sure thing. We have that killer test for modern art tomorrow. Ms. Kayama will fuss at us if we get a bad grade."

"She sure would!" Ochaco giggled. "I like her class. I wanna make a good impression on her."

"I'm sure she already likes you a lot."

"Really? She doesn't always show it, though..."

"Trust me, she thinks you're great. She's really glad you moved to this school."

"Well, she could stand to say it more often."

"I'll make sure she shows her appreciation more."

"Okay. I like her too, so I'd really like that. It would brighten my day." Ochaco looked right into Midoriya's eyes and beamed.

Midoriya smiled back. "Her day is brightened just by having you around."

He felt his heart thumping in his chest and he got the wild urge to just wrap his arms around her and kiss her like Denki had done with his girlfriend. It was quiet out here, with no one to see...  
"I'll see Ms. Kayama - I mean, I'll see you tomorrow!" Ochaco went even redder and fumbled with her door lock. "Good night!"

"Good night." Midoriya watched her retreat into her home to hide her embarrassed maiden feelings and wished once again that he had a spine so he could _do_ something. Instead, Midoriya trudged over to his own lawn and slipped inside, not stopping until he relaxed on his bed, hands folded behind his head as he contemplated the ceiling.

His phone buzzed.

Midoriya checked the text. It was from Ochaco. _Hey, Deku. You weren't REALLY talking about Ms. Kayama, were you?_

Midoriya grinned and pictured Ochaco laying on her own bed, unable to get her mind off him. He texted back his answer right away. _Hell no._


	17. Chapter 17

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 17: Getting Everyone on the Same Page (like that'll ever happen)**

"Settle down, everyone."

No one in class 1-A's homeroom really heard Mr. Aizawa, though. They were getting cocky by now, and openly chatted way too loudly in homeroom instead of studying. A paper airplane flew through the air and Jiro snagged it with her earphone jack as a stunt, raising cheers.

"Settle down, everyone," Aizawa barked. No one heard him.

"It's gonna be so much fun!" Toru told everyone who was listening. "It's almost time for the school festival. I have ideas for the theme!"

"They're all about stuffed animals, right?" Bakugo scoffed.

"Only 90% of them," Toru shot back. "And the last 10% deal with glitter!"

"But..."

"We're supposed to vote on the theme," Momo put in, looking up from her geology notes. "Something that represents the class."

"What would that even be?" Kirishima asked. Then he blinked. "I've got it! _Manliness_!"

"But that leaves out all the girls and Deku," Bakugo pointed out.

Midoriya kicked Bakugo's shin.

Mina burst out laughing. "Nice try, Kirishima," she said. "Obviously our theme should be movies! I vote for _Aliens_!"

"That movie gave me nightmares," Toru said, trembling in her seat. Tsuyu patted her back.

"Then what about -" Ojiro started.

Aizawa stood up on the desk and took a deep breath. "BE QUIET!" he roared.

Everyone fell into a stunned silence. Aizawa was giving Present Mic a run for his money!

Aizawa tried to look casual as he tossed his hair. "I don't like to yell," he said peevishly, "but I need your attention."

He looked so impressive, standing on his desk with his feet shoulder width apart, no one dared make a peep, not even Bakugo or Toru.

Aizawa cleared his throat. "The school's culture festival is due to start on October 31st, on Halloween. Starting today, classes 1-A, 1-B, 2-A, and 3-A will make their own exhibitions, and once you lot vote on your theme, you can get started."

Everyone gave their homeroom teacher a funny look.

"We know! We were already talking about it!" Jiro cried. "We're brainstorming ideas."

Iida nodded. "Indeed! Mr. Aizawa, I assure you that class 1-A is eagerly preparing for the festival! Even if they are a bit too loud about it..." He rubbed his ears.

Aizawa made an indignant noise. "You mean to say I got up here and yelled for nothing?"

"We've got it covered, sir," Kirishima said casually. "One hundred percent."

Aizawa scrambled off his desk, unrolled his yellow sleeping bag, and crawled into it to once again become the human banana.

Iida rose to his feet and marched to the class's front. "I shall take over as organizer for class 1-A while our teacher... rests," he said, glancing at the already-asleep Aizawa. He raised a hand. "We shall now submit proposed themes and vote on them! Who is first?"

Everyone was. Midoriya declared his idea at the exact same time as everyone else, and Iida winced.

"Maybe we should go by seating order," he said, and he picked up a piece of chalk. "And I should get some ear muffs," he added to himself.

Seat 1 belonged to Yuga Aoyama, who stood on his chair and struck a funny pose. "My theme shall be -"

"Yourself," Jiro muttered.

"Disco!" Aoyama finished.

Iida wrote it in katakana. "I see."

Jiro snorted with laughter. "Disco?!"

"A disco ball glitters ever so cheerily," Aoyama said. "And I love the bell-bottom pants! _Magnifique_!"

"Anyone who votes for that gets their disco pants crammed down their -" Bakugo started.

"Anyway!" Iida declared. "Seat 2 is Mina Ashido! What is your proposal?"

"James Cameron's _Aliens_!" Mina cheered, waving both arms. "Like that cool cargo robot thing, the cute aliens, and funny 1980s quotes!"

"I-I see," Iida said, clearly regretting this as he wrote that down, too. "Seat 3 is Tsuyu Asui. What is your proposal?"

Tsuyu cleared her throat. "Carnival. Ribbit," she said. "Snacks and fun games and colorful banners. No one could dislike that."

"I could," Kirishima muttered. "Ain't manly."

"Seat 4 is me," Iida said. "I propose that our theme be autumn harvest!" He wrote that, and he got a few comments of approval.

"Ooooooh, that sound really cute," Mina said. "I could dress like a hot cowgirl and Denki can be a scarecrow!"

"Scarecrows freak me out," Denki complained. "Can't I be a Hokkaido farmer or something?"

"I'll be a sexy pumpkin!" Toru cheered. "I'll make the costume myself."

"Right..." Iida adjusted his classes. "Seat 5 is Ochaco Uraraka."

Ochaco scuffed the floor with her feet as she glanced up in thought. "Ummmmm..."

"Any idea is acceptable," Iida said gently.

Bakugo made a wicked grin. "Oh, really?" he, Mineta, and Denki said together.

Tsuyu's tongue gently but expertly smacked each one on the head.

"My theme is starry sky!" Ochaco declared. "Like, how you can go on top of a hill with someone you like and bring blankets and snacks, and look up at the moon and stars with binoculars or a telescope and share funny stories."

"Ooooh, that sounds really romantic," Toru said with a sigh.

"It's kinda narrow as a theme, though," Jiro pointed out. "Maybe picnic or outer space to make it a full theme."

"It's a starting point," Iida said, writing it down. "Seat 6 is Mashirao Ojiro..."

One by one, Iida wrote down everyone's ideas. Some were tame, like Rikido Sato's desserts theme (the girls went nuts over it), and Mineta, fearing Tsuyu's punishing tongue, timidly suggested a fun on the beach theme to take people's mind off the hot weather (he didn't dare mention bikini girls to ogle at). Meanwhile, Fumikage Tokoyami suggested an Edgar Allan Poe theme, which was fine for the season, but no one sounded too interested, and no one whatsoever wanted Kirishima's weightlifting theme, and Mezo Shoji's "clean closet" theme was laughed right out of the room.

"All right! All twenty suggestions!" Iida declared. He tapped his chalk on the board as Aizawa kept slumbering. "Class, we shall now vote. Write down which theme you would like to use."

The voting was pretty fast, and Midoriya soon saw why. He rolled his eyes when Iida tossed all the papers into the air.

"You all voted for your own ideas!" Iida roared. His glasses glinted. "Please do not do that!"

"But I had the coolest idea," Denki insisted (laser tag).

Iida passed out new papers. "Please vote properly this time, class! We are supposed to be the pride of our year."

When he got the votes back and read them, Iida seized his head and wailed to the high heavens. "Y-you guys did it _again_!"

"But I wanna do a stuffed animals theme!" Toru cried.

"Oh, grow up," Jiro sniped.

"Be nice to her!" Momo snapped back.

"We have to do Edgar Allan Poe. I can be the raven in a play," Fumikage insisted.

"Yeah, 'cause it's only got one line for your dumb ass to memorize," Bakugo teased.

Fumikage made an annoyed noise. "I've memorized that entire poem, you know."

"Oh yeah?"

Fumikage cleared his throat. " _Once upon a midnight dreary, while I pondered, weak and weary, Over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore—"_

Bakugo snorted. "Your _face_ is forgotten lore."

"That doesn't even make sense," Shoji pointed out.

"Neither does anyone around here."

Shoji nodded. "Now _that_ makes sense."

"Everyone! Please!" Iida barked. "We cannot act like little children and argue all day. If we cannot agree on a theme, class 1-A will be ruined!"

"And your reputation, the part you really care about," Sero said snidely.

Iida went pink. "A-at any rate, perhaps I should look up common festival themes and we can vote among them."

There was an instant uproar.  
"It's _Aliens_ or nothing!" Mina demanded, pouting.

"No, _The Raven_ ," Fumikage put in.

"Fitness at the gym!" Kirishima roared, cupping his hands around his mouth.

"Starry sky with friends!" Ochaco cried, standing on her seat and waving her arms.

"I second Ochaco's idea!" Midoriya declared. He just couldn't say no to Ochaco's enthusiasm.

"Hey, Ochaco's idea has two votes," Denki realized. "Does that mean she wins?"

Nope! To counter Ochaco's newfound lead, everyone else started voting in pairs, so the top ten ideas survived with two votes each.

"This is nonsense." Momo got up and haughtily stalked to the front of the class. She stood by Iida and gently took hold of his shoulders. "Perhaps we should roll dice or draw straws to see what idea is chosen, so we can get a move on. Tenya just wants us to make some progress."

"Heh heh, girlfriend to the rescue," Toru teased. "I should have known."

"That's not it!" Iida cried as he made his stern arm movements again. "Momo Yaoyorozu is -"

"Nuts about you, you blockhead," Jiro said with a cunning grin. She pointed at him with her earphone jacks.

Momo went pink, too. "L-let's just choose a theme!"

Then the bell rang.

"Oh. Time for first period," Aizawa said, rising from his sleeping bag and rubbing his eyes. "What theme did everyone choose?"

"None of them," Iida groaned. "Perhaps I should move to another class. Or another school..."

Aizawa grunted. "Hurry up and choose a theme for class 1-A's part of the festival. What are the ideas we've got?"

Everyone wound up being late for first period (algebra) as the top ten ideas fought to the death, but first period was halfway over by the time Aizawa threw up his hands in defeat.

"Thanks a lot, kids. Now I have to decide for you," Aizawa said bitterly. "This is not what I signed up for."

"It kinda is," Mineta noted.

Aizawa sat at his desk's computer and typed something in. "I'm searching for 'high school festival theme.' The first result wins."

Kirishima gasped and bolted to his feet. "Wait, what search engine are you using? That might make all the difference, Mr. Aizawa."

Aizawa stared at the screen. "I'm on AskJeeves."

There was a stunned silence.

"WHAT?!" everyone roared.

"I thought that dumb website was shut down," Bakugo said with awe.

"That funny butler is still there?" Toru exclaimed. "I thought he was kinda hot."

"You're weird," Jiro grumbled.

"There should be one with bikini girls," Mineta said, salivating, "who take off their tops if you ask them -"

Tsuyu gave him a good tongue slap. "Mr. Aizawa should look up 'ways to dispose of a delinquent.' Ribbit."

"I'm not going anywhere," Mineta said with an evil cackle. He ducked under Tsuyu's next tongue attack in the nick of time.

"No! Try Bing!" Momo told Aizawa.

"Forget it! Bing is for old people who think they're ahead of the curve!" Kirishima cried. "Use Yahoo!"

"Yahoo is for slackers who eat Doritos and instant ramen," Sero snorted. "Aizawa, try searching with Google."

"That's for even older people who don't know any other search engines," Bakugo mocked him.

Ochaco scratched her head. "Where on earth are all these stereotypes coming from?"

"Welcome to our school," Midoriya said with a bracing smile that Ochaco returned.

"Okay, I got it," Aizawa declared.

Iida stiffened. "What shall our theme be, Mr. Aizawa?" He fell on his hands and knees in dismay. "Tell me so I can finally go to first period..."

Aizawa stood up. "We shall have a maid cafe."

There was another stunned silence. Did that make three so far?  
"That's such a cliche!" Mina whined. "Everyone does that... and it feels kinda weird to have all the guys looking at you the whole time."

"That's what we're doing," Aizawa said with a shrug.

"They could at least be zombie girls," Jiro said casually. Then she snapped her fingers. "That's it! Scary maid cafe for Halloween!"

Everyone cheered.

"I wanna be a zombie maid!" Toru added. "With a bloodstained and dirty dress and tea dyed red!"

"You know," Mina added slyly, "to spice things up, we could add a few butlers, too. Shoto, you'd look so gentlemanly pouring tea for a girl."

All the girls looked at him with great interest.

Shoto looked up from his history book. "What are we talking about?"

"You can be a hot butler for the maid cafe! Something for the girls to like!" Toru told him.

Shoto blinked. "What cafe?"

"It's our class's theme for the festival," Momo explained impatiently. "Weren't you listening?"

"Oh, I guess it's the right time of year for that," Shoto said innocently. "What other themes have we considered? Can I add one?"

Now there was a fourth stunned silence.

"YOU WERE IGNORING US THIS ENTIRE TIME?!" everyone roared.

"But you voted," Shoji pointed out. "What did you think we were talking about?"

"Themes for a school play or something," Shoto said. "Look, I'm trying to study..."

 _He's lost in his own little world,_ Midoriya thought with awe. That Shoto Todoroki... he had concentration like a laser beam.

"So are you gonna be a hot butler or not?" Mina insisted.

Shoto looked annoyed. "Make Denki do it."

"And have other girls slobbering over my man? I don't think so!" Mina retorted. Then she smiled sweetly. "Come _ooooooon,_ Shoto. You'd look so great in a Victorian-style butler outfit, pouring tea. I can imagine you on a manga cover now."

"Since when is there manga about Victorian butlers?"

"There's manga for everything," Bakugo said impatiently. "C'mon, half-and-half. Just do it already and make the girls squeal over you."

"But..."

" _Do it! Do it! Do it! Do it!"_ everyone chanted until Shoto gave up.

"Fine!" he snapped. "But someone else better do it with me, or I'm blowing it off. I nominate Izuku Midoriya."

Midoriya was sure he felt a spotlight shine right on him and he went bright red. "M-m-me? Why?"

Shoto shrugged. "You're so polite and helpful. You're already halfway there."

"Like heck I'll do it! I get self-conscious!" Midoriya cried. "Like right now!"

Ochaco patted Midoriya's shoulder. "Please?" she said sweetly. "It'll be fun. I can help make your outfit. You'll look so handsome, Mr. Midoriya the butler."

Midoriya bolted to his feet and threw out his arms. "I'm a butler!"

Everyone clapped.

"A _scary_ butler, remember," Jiro added, barely hiding an amused smile. "For Halloween. Choose a monster and be a butler version of it. You too, Shoto."

"Very well," Shoto said, going back to his book.

"If everything's finally decided," Aizawa said, "you all might as well stay here until second period. I'll explain things to your math teacher."

Everyone happily chatted ideas for the scary maid cafe until the bell for second period rang, and Midoriya had a spring in his step as he walked with Ochaco out in the hallway. "I'll have to choose a good monster," he told her with a happy grin.

Ochaco beamed. "Yeah. I can borrow my mom's sewing kit. Come over to my house sometime and we'll get you fixed up."

Midoriya's heart leaped. "You're inviting me to your place?"

"Why not? It'll be so much fun. I can make snacks, too!"

 _Best festival theme ever!_ Midoriya smiled wide and barely even noticed when students from class 1-B happened by.

"Hi, everyone," Itsuka Kendo said with a happy wave. "What theme did you decide on for your part of the festival?"

"Scary maid cafe," Iida said, saluting. "It shall be most proper and terrifying."

"Oh, that's so cool," Itsuka gushed. "We're doing a haunted carnival."

"Took us just a minute to agree on it," Yosetsu Awase added, hands in his pockets. "It's gonna be fantastic. I bet you guys didn't need long to come up with your theme, either."

Midoriya and the rest of class 1-A gave each other mixed looks of dismay, guilt, and amusement. "Kind... of?" Mina said weakly.

"We spent a solid hour and a half debating it," Kirishima said, puffing out his chest, "because we're _tough_."

"That doesn't make sense, Kirishima. Ribbit," Tsuyu pointed out.

Itsuka Kendo nodded and was polite enough not to comment on any of this. "Well... work hard, everyone. See you at the festival!"

She and the others walked off toward their English class while Midoriya resumed daydreaming about what kind of outfit Ochaco would help him make. He could be a werewolf, or a vampire, or a kappa, or a mummy... and the whole time, he'd be in Ochaco's bedroom (it would probably smell sweet just like her), while Ochaco ran her hands over his body to measure him with her tape measure... just the two of them...

Uh-oh.

"Tsuyu," Midoriya said nervously.

"What is it?"

"If I get carried away, I need a tongue slap to knock some sense back into me, okay?"  
Tsuyu looked confused but nodded. "You got it. Ribbit."


	18. Chapter 18

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 18: A Do-It-Yourself Project (bring a friend and make it two!)**

There wasn't a lot of time left before the school's culture festival on the 31st, and judging by Neito Monoma's bragging (via Twitter, Facebook, and worst of all, in person), class 1-B had a heck of a show planned for the festival's guests. And the class representative of 3-A, Mirio Togata, promised much more humbly that his class's exhibition would "rock your socks off." Where did that leave class 1-A?

 _Come on, Deku! Let's find you some clothes!_

Midoriya grinned when his phone buzzed and Ochaco's text message appeared on the lock screen. He was just idling at his desk, re-reading his favorite manga omnibus when at last, the girl next door beckoned. He didn't even take the time to text her back; he eagerly got on his oversized red shoes, and a jacket, and zoomed out the front door like a dog that heard the dinner bell.

Ochaco was already there, hands in the pockets of her pink jacket and a big smile on her face. "There you are!"

"Your truly." Midoriya paused for a second, trying to say something clever. Before he could, Ochaco simply took his hand in hers and led him to the street.

"We're going to the downtown mall today," Ochaco said cheerily as she guided her friend to the nearest bus stop. It was a crisp autumn day, with just a few fluffy clouds in the sky. Orange and brown leaves swirled on people's front lawns. "There's a really cute clothes store there and an arts and crafts place. I think we can make your scary butler costume in one go."

"That sounds great." Midoriya's mind raced as he approached the bus stop with Ochaco. Come to think of it, what was he actually going to dress up as? And what was Shoto going to be?

"Lead the way," he heard himself say.

"Yeah!"

*o*o*o*o*

The mall was even busier than Midoriya expected, but it was about 11:00 AM, a good tiem to go out. Midoriya held on tight to Ochaco's hand so they wouldn't get separated, and she led him through the crowds and up the escalator. Around the corner, they found a clothing store called Duds For You.

It wasn't terribly crowded, thank goodness.

"Welcome," a slightly irritated girl a little older than Midoriya said from behind the counter. She had very light lavender-colored hair in a hime hair cut, a white blouse, and vivid blue eyes. And a sour expression!

"Oh, hi again, Saiko," Ochaco said, waving. "I brought a friend this time!"

"This time?" Midoriya blurted out.

Ochaco beamed. "This shop has such great discounts. I come here to find all the best sales."

"Too bad it's not working today," the girl named Saiko grumbled. She rested an elbow on the cash register, her chin settled on her open palm. "You're the first buying customer I've seen, Ochaco."

Midoriya felt himself sweat a bit. "Is there a problem?"

The girl named Saiko grunted. "My stupid mom won't let me even think about moving out for college unless I 'show some responsibility.' Like my perfect grades don't prove that already!"

"She's in class 2-A," Ochaco explained. "She's so nice, but no one ever hangs out with her."

"They're intimidated by me," Saiko said with a wicked grin. "I say let 'em run. I'm going places they can't even imagine!"

She made a chuckle that definitely should have come from an oni's mouth.

Midoriya could see why this store wasn't selling today.

"Anyway, enough about me," Saiko said, suddenly business-like. "What can I get for you, mister...?"  
Midoriya stiffened his back. "I'm Izuku Midoriya."

"Midoriya, I'll find the perfect outfir for you or die trying." Saiko made that face again, and Midoriya suddenly wished he was at home under his bed. Ochaco had some real off-beat friends!

"I-I visited that tailor shop that P-Perfect Jeanist owns a while back," Midoriya said, trembling head to toe. He made a nervous laugh. "C-can you do something like that?"

 _"And not charge me half of Japan's GDP?"_ he wanted to add.

Saiko rubbed her hands together. "Let's do this."

Just like Best Jeanist, Saiko yanked Midoriya to a fitting room and measured everything she could.

"So you're one of Ochaco's friends?" Saiko said as she measured Midoriya's arm.

"Yeah. She's great."

"Mmmmmmmm." Saiko had a sly face as she moved on to Midoriya's neck to measure for shirt collars. "The things she says about you, my dear boy... they'd make your hair stand on end!"

She did the laugh again.

Midoriya shrank away. "L-like what?"

"Hold still, boy!" Saiko seized Midoriya's shoulders and him in place as a fiery aura surrounded her. "I'm slated to attend Tokyo University and get my Doctorate! But I can't unless I impress my mom first!" She wrapped her measuring tape around Midoriya's neck and tightened it much more than she should have.

"C-can't breathe..."

"Oh. I'm sorry." Saiko returned to business lady mode and resumed measuring. Then she leaned close to Midoriya's ear. "That Ochaco... you're a lucky boy, Izuku. I don't want to have a boyfriend until I'm out of college. But I can see why Ochaco's into you. I'm a little tempted myself..." She traced her finger down Midoriya's chest.

Midoriya went red and steam shot from his ears (funny how that started happening a lot more this semester). "H-hey!"

"Everything okay in there?" Ochaco called from behind the door.

Saiko drew back and rolled up her tape measure. "All done," she said ever so politely. "Let's get this boy some duds, like the sign says. I didn't agree with that sign name, by the way..."

Ten minutes later, Midoriya presented himself to the girls in the black slacks, white shirt, vest, and short jacket of a butler outfit, and don't forget the red bow tie and white gloves!

"Oooooooh! Just right!" Ochaco clapped as she went pink in the face. "You can be so handsome when you upgrade your look, Deku."

Midoriya felt his heart leap in his throat. "H-hey, you'd better not mean I'm a slob the rest of the time," he teased her.

Ochaco went redder and held her head in her hands in horror. "N-no! I didn't mean it like that... oh, who am I to talk, when I can't really afford high-end clothes like those..."

"No! I didn't meant it like that!" Midoriya rushed over and held Ochaco's shoulders in his gloved hands. "Who am I to talk, I actually am kind of a slob..."

"B-but I didn't mean it like that!" Ochaco cried.

"Neither did I!"

"Nor me!"

"Nor me!"

"I'm sorry!" Midoriya and Ochaco said together, backing away enough for a mutual, apologetic bow.

Saiko scratched her head. "And people think _I'm_ cuckoo."

"I'll pay right away!" Midoriya bowed again, this time at Saiko, and forked over the cash and changed back into his real clothes. He didn't look back as he and Ochaco scampered out of the shop, shopping bags in hand.

"S-so, that was my friend," Ochaco said breathlessly. "What do you think of her?"

"She's... fun."

"Right? I like fun people," Ochaco said with an embarrassed laugh. She toyed with her chestnut-brown hair and went pink in the face. "I'm lucky I have such good friends!"

"Me, too!"

What was this? Midoriya and Ochaco were supposed to have a simple, friendly outing... and they were losing their minds!

"You know what this means," the cool punk mini-Deku said, appearing on the left shoulder.

"Be a gentleman about it!" the lover-boy Deku said on the right shoulder. He still wore a white suit and held a rose bouquet. "It's an outing with a fine lady. Remember your manners!"

"Get to second base!" the other one declared.

Midoriya nearly shot through the roof. "What the -!"

Ochaco blinked. "Are you okay?"  
"Sure I am!" Midoriya cried automatically.

"Okay. Let's visit the arts and crafts store next," Ochaco offered, beaming again. "Come on! It's back on the first floor..."

They took just a few steps off the escalator when a familiar someone intercepted them.

"Well, look at these lovebirds!"

The art teacher, Ms. Nemuri Kayama, had her hands one her hips, a wide grin on her face. What?!

"M-miss Kayama!" Midoriya hastily bowed to her. "How are you today?"

"Oh, relax, kiddo. I'm just an ordinary shopper today," Ms. Kayama said. "And I'm kinda hungry. Let's visit the food court."

"What, now?"

"Do what your teacher tells you, Midoriya!"

"So much for just a ordinary shopper..."

The three of them ended up in the busy food court, and they found a table near the corner. Ms. Kayama dug right into her boxed lunch. "So how long have you kids been goin' out?" she asked through a very full mouth.

Ochaco froze and went red. "W-well, uh..."

"Does it count if we went to that Yu Takeyama concert together?" Midoriya asked timidly.

Ms. Kayama swallowed her bite and clapped her hands together in joy. "It sure does, lover boy! How was it? Did you kids have fun?"

"We sure did," Ochaco said with a shy smile, toying with her lunch. "It was a wonderful concert. And today, we're looking for stuff for Midoriya's maid/butler cafe costume..." She glanced away bashfully.

"Ooooooh! I heard about that from Aizawa," Ms. Kayama said through another full mouth. "He said you kids spent two hours deciding on the single most common festival idea. What a bunch of brats!"

Midoriya made a sour face. "Gee, thanks."

Ms. Kayama swallowed that bite, too. "Ochaco, honey, you'd look _great_ in a maid outfit. Please tell me you already bought one?"

"I did," Ochaco said, still pink in the face as she made a polite chuckle. "I'm supposed to be a snow spirit."

"Oooooh! That's scary!" Ms. Kayama said through her third full mouth. "It'll send chills down everyone's spine. I can't wait to see all the werewolves and oni and zombies at your scary cafe!"

Ochaco winced. "I don't like scary things," she admitted. "I made my costume a _cute_ snow spirit."

 _The Yuki-Onna?_ Midoriya recalled what he knew about the super-creepy snow lady monster, and he definitely wouldn't want to meet a real one. But if Ochaco had a cute costume for it... he pictured it in his mind and didn't realize that he was making a big grin like a buffoon.

"Oh, you're getting all kinds of ideas, aren't you, Izuku?" Ms. Kayama said snidely. "What are _you_ going to be?"

"I was thinking I could make him a chibi oni," Ochaco said brightly. "Y'know, little red horns, yellow contacts, a little pointed tail, maybe some face paint..."  
"Well, doesn't that sound adorable!" Ms. Kayama said through her fourth full mouth (where on earth did she get her table manners?). "You kids are such a fun couple!"

"Yeah!" Ochaco said with another embarrassed chuckle. "That's us, all right!"

The words alone sounded sarcastic, but Midoriya felt the honesty in Ochaco's tone. Hmmmmmm...

Ms. Kayama checked her bare wrist as though it had a watch. "Oh dear, look at the time! I have to run!"

"Where?" Midoriya said blankly as Ms. Kayama got up and dashed off.

"I think she wanted us to have some alone time," Ochaco said as she resumed her lunch.

"Yeah, with her being the one who nosed in on our date in the first place," Midoriya said casually, then jolted when he realized what he said. _Does this count? I mean, we're here having lunch together, having a good time..._

Ochaco kept her eyes on her lunch. "Yeah, she's a funny one." Then she perked up, her brown eyes wide. "Izuku... _does_ this count as a date? I mean, are we dating?"

Midoriya hesitated for just a second. "I think it is," he said with a chuckle, scratching the back of his head. He thought it would be harder to say that out loud, but he felt more at ease alone with Ochaco Uraraka than ever. She so easily became a part of his everyday life, and he couldn't imagine his days without her.

"It... it's our second date, then?" Ochaco said, looking both shocked and delighted.

"I think it is," Midoriya said frankly.

Ochaco nodded. "I'm having a good time, aren't you?"

"A great time."

"I'm glad."

"Me, too."

Ochaco hastily finished her lunch, cleared her throat, and patted her mouth with her paper napkin. "Uh... anyway... let's visit the arts and crafts store, okay? It's right down that way..."

"Right behind you."

Ochaco was a little quieter, but she seemed perfectly happy as she once again took Midoriya's hand and led him further into the bustling mall, a light spring in her step as she hummed something to herself.

Yeah, this was definitely a date!  
And those jerks in middle school said that Midoriya couldn't get girls!

Ochaco found just what she was looking for in the arts and crafts store, and she burst out laughing when she held up to toy oni horns to Midoriya's forehead. "Oh, this is gonna be so fun," she said with a giggle as she rummaged to find face paint and yellow contacts. "Midoriya the little devil boy..." She kept humming to herself, and Midoriya just hung out, letting Ochaco enjoy herself. She was acting so casual, but Midoriya prayed that inside, she was jumping for joy like he was. Midoriya didn't want to get ahead of himself... but he was pretty sure by now that Ochaco was really into him.  
"Guys! Over here!"

"Huh?" Midoriya whirled around and came face-to-face with Yosetsu Awase from class 1-B, and he looked exhausted, shopping bags held in hand.

First Ms. Kayama, now this. Couldn't this outing - date, actually - go without interruption?!

"I thought I saw you guys earlier," Yosetsu said. His normally cool-guy demeanor was replaced with mild panic. "I need a little help here."

"What's the matter?" Ochaco poked her head out from behind a display rack of beads aned buttons.

Yosetsu glanced down at his shopping bags. "I'm supposed to be a vampire magician for my class's festival exhibit," he said breathlessly. "But I can't get the damn tricks to work right, and I dunno if my show is cool enough. Could you guys be a test audience?"

Midoriya wasn't terribly interested, but then again, Yosetsu might have some surprises in store, and above all Midoriya was the helper guy. What would Ochaco think if he abandoned a fellow student in need? "You got it. I haven't seen a magic show since I was little."

"Oooooh That sounds like fun!" Ochaco beamed. "Let me buy this stuff and we'll go to your place."

Yosetsu sighed with relief. "Thanks, guys."

*o*o*o*o*

"Okay, um... I'm the great, the wonderful, the spooky Yosetsu Awase! Stage name pending!"

Yosetsu stepped into his family's living room while Midoriya sat on the couch with Ochaco as the test audience. Yosetsu had already changed into his vampire outfit, a rich red vest with gold buttons over a starched white shirt, black pants, and fake black talons over his fingernails. He even had a cape, and he gave it a theatrical toss as he held his arms wide.

Midoriya gave him an appreciative clap. "Okay, not too bad. What's the first trick?"

"Um... this." Yosetsu hastily reached across his table of magic trick stuff and knocked a few things onto the floor. A stuffed rabbit sprang out of a hat and a glass of water spilled.

Ochaco winced. "Careful..."

"I-I got this." Yosetsu went red as he drew a silver tube and waved it around. "This tube's empty right now, see? See?"

"You're moving it too fast," Midoriya pointed out. "Slow down. Take it easy."

"B-but it has stuff in it! Look!" Yosetsu reached inside and tugged... and tugged some more, until he finally yanked out some handkerchiefs. One of them tore.

"Forget that one," Yosetsu mumbled. "It's lame. Let's do cards."

He presented the deck of cards to Ochaco, and she secretly picked one. Yosetsu said some arcane nonsense for showmanship and looked more confident as he shuffled the deck and drew the top card: ace of clubs. "Is _this_ your card?"

Ochaco shook her head.

"Oh. Uh..." Yosetsu drew the next card, the seven of hearts. "What about this one?"

Yosetsu went red again and showed her the jack of spades. "This one?"

"Sorry, Yosetsu."

"Wait a minute!" Midoriya reached into his jeans pocket and drew the four of diamonds. "Look at this."

"That's my card! You did it!" Ochaco smiled and clapped.

Yosetsu stared. "What the hell? That was supposed to be in _my_ pocket."

"But it was in mine," Midoriya said blankly. All three of them stared at each other in bewildered silence.

"Anyway!" Yosetsu hurried off to find more magic stuff from his supplies. "Let me try something else... whoa!" He tripped on his cape and went sprawling on the floor in a helpless heap.

"Are you okay?" Ochaco rushed by his side and knelt by him. "Maybe we should call it quits for today..."

"N... no. Class 1-B is counting on me." Yosetsu pushed himself upright and dusted off his pants. "I can't give up!"

He made card levitate between his fingers, he turned water into ice in a cup, and he made a magic baton vanish into thin air. Or he tried! Poor Yosetsu kept getting secret strings tangled, or he dropped his cards, or a trick item turned out to be a regular, non-magic one that just wouldn't cooperate.

Yosetsu hung his head, and a little thundercloud of sadness started raining on him. "I can't do it, guys. Damn it all..."

Ochaco patted his back. "It's okay. Try again from the top..."

"Tea first. I'm thirsty." Yosetsu cleared his throat. "I should have offered some when we got here! How rude of me. You guys like jasmine tea, right?" He hurried off to the kitchen and promptly tripped on his cape again.

It was mid-afternoon by the time they finally left the Awase house (Yosetsu managed to do a few tricks half-decently by then), and Ochaco was just about to suggest visiting a local motchi stand when Mina called Ochaco and blubbered about how her maid outfit got a bad rip, so Ochaco dutifully visited the Ashido house to sew up the sleeve of a tearful Mina's maid outfit. By the time they were done with _that_ , Denki called Midoriya and blubbered about having problems with his algebra homework, so Midoriya dutifully visited the Kaminari house to help a tearful Denki with some tough quadratic functions (and once again, his room smelled like Doritos and worn basketball clothes).

"We can't get any time alone!" Ochaco wailed as Momo's caller ID appeared on her phone, and she picked up, Momo asked to look over some costume ideas in a magazine together. The sun kept creeping across the sky as most of class 1-A begged for help, and at long last, Ochaco invited Midoriya into the Uraraka house.

 _It's almost dinnertime,_ Midoriya realized, and as he climbed the stairs to the second floor, he texted his mom to give her an update, then stepped into Ochaco's room.

It was like how Midoriya first saw it, but with some extra stuff. She had the same big desk with her old laptop on it, plus a small vase of flowers and a few random notebooks and pencils for school, not to mention a small stuffed bear and a can of air freshener. Ochaco's bookshelf still had a charming variety of old paperback and hardbacks, and the room now had a Western-style bed against the far wall, with pink sheets and a white comforter.

Ochaco blushed. "I think I should have tidied up a bit," she said with a nervous giggle.

"No, I like it," Midoriya said simply, despite the unmade bed, the snack wrappers on the desk, and the too-full trash can in the corner. In fact, it felt just right, because it was like Ochaco was comfortable enough around him to show him her everyday life. Or something like that.

"So, uh..." Ochaco clapped her hands together. "Let's work on that costume, butler boy."

The cool evening sunlight crept across the carpet as Ochaco helped Midoriya try on his butler outfit and add the accessories, and she was humming to herself again as she painted on Midoriya's face and attached the horns with an elastic band.

"Here. Take a look!" Ochaco held up a mirror, and Midoriya had to say, Ochaco did a bang-on job making him look cartoonishly scary. He grabbed a notebook and offered it like a tray.

"Tea, my lady?"

"Thank you!" Ochaco mimed taking a teacup and sipping from it. "Mmmmmm, it's hot!"

"Do you take sugar?"

Ochaco blushed. "It's sweet enough for me."

Midoriya broke character and put the notebook aside. "Thanks again, Ochaco. This is great."

"I-it's nothing." Ochaco glanced away bashfully, hands clasped at her navel. "I'm just as good with sewing stuff and costumes as I am with construction tools. My dad jokes that he got a son and daughter at the same time!"

"Oh yeah?" Midoriya liked the costume all right, and he was glad to finally get it all done. But here they were, alone, with the soft orange light illuminating the scene in that private bedroom. It was quiet, and Midoriya liked it that way.

Ochaco shifted her feet. "Izuku... you're standing kind of close."

"Am I?" Midoriya just realized that he was standing closer to her. When did he take a step forward? "Should I back away?"

"N-n-no, I don't mind," Ochaco said, looking flustered. "I feel fine." She toyed with a strand of her her again, chewing her lower lip. "I like seeing your costume up close. It's nice and scary."

"Really? I thought you wanted a cute devil."

"Yeah, that too." Ochaco giggled. "My little chibi oni..."

Ochaco moved fast, and Midoriya didn't see it coming. She pinned Midoriya to the wall and held his head in her hands, her soft brown eyes locked on his as she slowly went pink. She closed her eyes and leaned closer, bringing her lips to his.

"You know, I don't think I've been alone in my room with a boy before," she breathed.

"You could have mentioned that," Midoriya gently teased her.

"Yeah, I could have." Ochaco leaned closer, standing on her tip-toes at this point, and she kissed him. For just a second.

Ochaco broke away almost as fast, this time holding her own face in her hands as she went cherry-red. "Izuku, I..."

"No, it's okay!" Midoriya's heart was going a mile a minute, and so was his brain. He numbly touched his lips with his fingertips. Did that really just happen? It was so fast...

Ochaco hastily bowed. "I'm glad you liked my work!"

"You're welcome." Midoriya felt light like a balloon as he gathered his street clothes and made for the door. "I'm glad I stopped by."

"Me too. See you at school!" Ochaco giggled nervously and bowed again as she babbled on. "And have a good night! Sleep tight! See you tomorrow!"

"See you then." Midoriya barely even noticed Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka in the dining room, and gave them a vague wave when they said a cheerful goodbye. Midoriya was still in his trance when he unlocked his own front door and shuffled in.

Inko Midoriya muted her game show and looked over at her son. "Izuku, welcome - oh my! What is that?"

"Costume," Midoriya mumbled, his head filled with the sounds of an angelic chorus as he made for his bedroom, nice and slow.

"Its looks lovely, honey." Then Inko gasped. "You were just at the Uraraka house, weren't you? I saw your text message earlier."

"Yeah..."

"I can see a funny look in your eyes, Izuku..."

"Yeah..."

Inko sputtered, going pink in the face. "Did you... did she..."

"Yeah..."

Inko clutched her face. "Did my little boy just get his first kiss?!"  
"Yeah..." Midoriya shuffled into his bedroom and shut the door. He got a towel to wipe his face clean. There was a pretty solid chance that he'd still be in this trance tomorrow morning during class, and he'd totally space out for all his classes and miss every word the teachers said.

Not that he minded.


	19. Chapter 19

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 19: Taking It for a Trial Run (what could go wrong?)**

"So, it's finally almost ready, isn't it?" Fumikage commented as he and his classmates finally got out of school for the day, and out on the school's front lawn, hundreds of students were heading home in the early evening sunlight. It was definitely getting chilly out by now, even with a partially exposed sun.

Midoriya didn't have to ask what Fumikage meant. Class-1A could only think of their scary maid/butler exhibit for tomorrow's school festival, and everything was almost ready! Kind of. Probably.

"I'm sure everyone's gonna like it," Midoriya told him, his school bag slung over his shoulder like how Kacchan sometimes did. "Feel free to get a drink. What kind of tea do you like?"

"Well... my tastes aren't entirely what you'd find in a maid cafe," Fumikage said evasively. "Sorry, Izuku."

Mina eagerly patted Fumikage's back. "Don't be like that, Fumi. I think -"

"Stop calling me that name!"

"Come on, Fumi!" Mina insisted. "We serve _everything_. If you're thirsty, stop by!"

"I"m not much of a party person," Fumikage told her. "I"ll just help out in the back. Kitchen staff, you know."

"Oooooh, where's your school spirit?" Mina complained. "You memorized all those creepy Edgar Allan Poe stories. Why not do a one-man poetry slam? It would be cute!"

"Wrong adjective," Fumikage retorted.

"Oh, just let him do his thing," Bakugo said casually. "He'd drive everyone out of the cafe with his boring ghost stories."

Fumikage bristled. "They're more than cheap ghost stories, Katsuki! They're sublime storytelling!"

"Haunted black cats and gristly revenge stories. I told those kinda stories when I was eight," Bakugo said snidely.

Fumikage humphed. "I wouldn't expect a yokel like you to understand."

Momo cleared her throat. "You're quite right, Tokoyami. In fact, why don't you join me for a study session at my house? We have that tough history test coming up, and it would be just the two of us. Nice and quiet."

"With all this festival stuff going on, I could use a break," Fumikage admitted. "Okay, let's go. See you guys tomorrow."

He waved good-bye to Midoriya and the others (and shot Bakugo a nasty look) and headed off to the Yaoyorozu estate with Momo. Perfect.

Mina, Ochaco, Toru, and Denki burst out laughing. "He'll never see it coming!" Toru choked out between giggles.

"Keep your voice down! Shush!" Mina said with a finger over lips, but she was still giggling, too. "The plan's working great. But we gotta hurry and get into position before Fumikage catches on."

"He's dense. We'll be fine," Bakugo said. "See you guys there. And don't let him hear you!" he added. "If you're giggling the whole time..."

"It'll be fine," Midoriya assured him. "Let's get moving."

*o*o*o*o*

"SURPRISE!"

Fumikage nearly jumped out of his skin when Midoriya and about twenty-six others leaped out from behind cover in Momo's living room. Fumikage had just turned on the lights when everyone threw up their hand and cheered for his 16th birthday.

"Happy birthday, Fumikage," Momo said warmly as she put her hands on his shoulders in the doorway. "All of this is just for you."

"What... but..." Fumikage could barely get the words out as he took in the scene: all his friends cheering for him, party streamers and balloons, a table loaded with cake and snacks, a little pile of presents, and a stereo all set up for the party. Fumikage gestured helplessly. " _Why_?"

"Because it's your birthday, Fumi!" Mina said, wrapping her arms around Denki's waist. "We wanna give you a good time."

"What she said," Denki said, nodding.

Fumikage turned on Momo, still shell-shocked. "B-but... you said it was just the two of us!"

Momo beamed. "While we were studying in the dining room, everyone snuck in and got this ready for you. They worked hard. Won't you say thank you?"

"They _snuck in_?"

"For the party," Midoriya said warmly. He didn't know what pretext Momo used to get Fumikage in here, but here was the birthday boy! "Come on, join us. It's not every day you turn 16."

"But sweet sixteens are a girl thing," Fumikage spluttered. "Remember yours, Momo? That's your gig!"

"And now it's yours, too!" Denki said, throwing up devil horns like a rock star. "And we did it for Kirishima a couple of weeks back, too. We went to an arcade!"

"And it rocked," Kirishima said, grinning with those sharp teeth of his. "I proved myself the skee ball champion."

"They worked so hard," Momo said gently. "Even your friends from class 1-B are here, too. A little cake and music might make your day."

"Well..." Fumikage couldn't smile, but he did look a little cheered up as he rubbed the back of his head. "I-I guess I'd feel pretty bad if I worked hard for a friend and they said no..." His eyes widened. "Are you guys in your festival costumes?!"

"Yeah!" Ochaco beamed. "We wanna make this a practice run for the festival tomorrow, so we'll be your butlers and maids! Free drinks for everyone. All the stuff is set up in the kitchen already."

"All you have to do is ask," Shoto said simply. He was getting more than a few approving looks from the girls, decked out in his butler costume. In particular, he was a zombie butler, with gray-green skin, fake scars, and black marks around his eyes.

Fumikage nodded. "Right. I'll have a birthday party. Just this once."

*o*o*o*o*

Ten minutes later, even the reclusive Fumikage had to admit that his classmates knew how to throw a killer party, and he appreciated the cool Halloween costumes for the maids and butlers. He and the others lounged on the couches while Midoriya, Ochaco, Shoto, and the others brought drinks from the kitchen on fancy trays, and they even stirred in sugar, cream, and other stuff (Aoyama asked for cinnamon, sugar, _and_ milk in his), and the music was loud but not too loud (thank goodness).

"Mmmmmm. Thanks, Jiro," Fumikage said when he accepted an Earl Gray tea from Kyoka Jiro. This was his sixth drink; everyone wanted to serve him at least once, and he was gonna bloat up like one of the birthday balloons at this rate. "Whew. This is a lot of tea..."

"Anything for the master of the house," Jiro said in character, doing a little neat bow in her maid outfit. As a monster, she was dressed as a mummy maid, her forehead, neck, and hands wrapped in bandages with fake blood speckled on them to contrast with her classy maid outfit.

"Let me try..." Fumikage took a sip and nearly choked. "That's a lot of sugar, Jiro!"

Jiro smirked at him. "That's for saying my costume was the least scary."

"I-I'm sorry!" Fumikage fought to swallow the ultra-sugary tea. Fumikage wasn't the sugar type, something that Rikido Sato found quite tragic.

Midoriya, meanwhile, was serving tea to Itsuka Kendo, who graciously accepted. "I have to say, guys," Itsuka said, "your scary maid cafe idea is really charming. I think it'll be a big hit."

"Oh, you're just being nice, aren't you?" Hanto Sero said with a goofy grin. "I keep hearing how class 1-B's scary carnival will blow everyone out of the water."

Itsuka sipped her tea. "Well, that's just Neito boasting. We've had a few snags along the way, and we couldn't get some of the bigger props we wanted. But I hope it turns out okay."

"Yeah..." Yosetsu Awase hung his head. "I hope you guys can pick up the slack."

Mezo Shoji grunted. "What d'you mean?"

"I can't even do the simple card tricks right," Yosetsu groaned, slapping his hands over his face. "I tried doing tricks at home with guest audiences, but I'm lucky they didn't throw tomatoes at me."

Ochaco made a sympathetic noise. "It's just nerves," she said in a soothing tone. "You'll be great, Yosetsu!"

"Easy for you to say," Yosetsu kept groaning. "I wanted to be a magician as a kid. But at this rate, I'll end up as some cheap bodyguard at a pop concert or something."

"There are worse jobs out there," Jiro said with a shrug. "Like being the pop star."

"Because rock and roll will never die, right?" Denki said with a big grin like Sero's.

Jiro grinned back. "AC/DC got it right about that."

Meanwhile, one of the shy girls from class 1-B, Reiko Yanagi, had been giving Fumikage hopeful looks all evening, and now she finally worked up the nerve to sit next to him and nervously put her hands on her lap. "S-so, um..." she mumbled.

Fumikage nodded. "What's up?"

"Um..." For a change, Reiko wasn't her usual quiet, pale self. She was pink in the face and apparently fighting a smile as she looked bashfully at her lap. "Y-you read Poe, right?"

"Oh. Yeah. Poe, Lovecraft, Stephen King... and that's just the foreign ones." Fumikage rested his hands behind his head in a casual pose. "I've read every Japanese horror author and ranked them by content, writing style, and anything else I could think of. And the chill factor, of course. I have a secret top ten."

Reiko looked utterly enamored, and she suddenly reached over and held Fumikage's knees. "L-let me see that list!" she cried. "I mean... please?" She looked hopeful, her face going redder.

Midoriya was occupied by a gross joke Bakugo was telling Yosetsu and Sero, but he caught the adoring tone in Reiko's voice and looked over. What's this? Was Fumikage a chick magnet with the goth crowd? He should have figured!

"Well, sure," Fumikage said. "I didn't think anyone would care, though."

"I've read them all, too," Reiko said breathlessly. Now she clasped her hands together under her chin, looking right into Fumikage's steely eyes. "All night long... if you don't mind, c-can I read some with you sometime?"

"I guess," Fumikage said, still casual and carefree. "We can start with _Pet Sematary,_ if you want. I've been meaning to re-read it."

"We can start at midnight at your place!" Reiko said eagerly. "I can bring snacks."

"If you want."

Fumikage didn't show many facial expressions, but his tone was way too... well, dense, like Bakugo said earlier. Midoriya rolled his eyes and got out his phone.

"Hey!" Jiro said, pointing at him. "Oni butlers don't have cell phones!"

"They do now," Midoriya muttered as he typed a text message to Fumikage. It clearly read: _Reiko is obviously into you, you idiot!_

"Hold on. Got a text." Fumikage dug his smart phone out of his pocket and checked the text. He nearly dropped his phone in shock as though it had morphed into a scorpion. He looked up at Midoriya in awe. "Wait, for real?" he blurted out.

"For real what?" Reiko asked.

"Nothing!" Fumikage tried to pocket it, but he was too slow. Toru swiped it and checked the message.

"Ooooooh! That's so cute!" she squealed. "Even I didn't know that. And I keep a list for these things."

"What? Let me see." Jiro held out her palm, and once she read it, a sly grin spread across her face. "Whoa there, stud. I didn't know you had it in you."

"Give that back!" Fumikage cried. He lunged out a hand to seize his phone, but Jiro tossed it to Tsuyu, who read the text message on the screen.

Tsuyu nodded. "That's news to me, too. Ribbit." She did a gentle under-hand toss to pass the phone to Mei Hatsume, who read it and clapped a hand to her cheek. "I can't believe it!" she cried. "I thought that bird guy would die alone..."

"Do you even know my name?" Fumikage cried, getting up and hurrying toward Mei. "And give that back already!"

Mei giggled. "Hot potato!" She tossed it like a hand grenade, and this time, Yosetsu caught it and checked the message.

Yosetsu grinned at Fumikage. "Should I start calling you Captain Kirk? Because you get all the babes."

"Give it over!" Fumikage actually leaped at Yosetsu in a diving tackle. Too late; Yosetsu sprang out of the way and passed the phone to Aoyama. "Read it, weirdo."

Aoyama shot him a dirty look but brightened once he saw the phone's screen. "Ah, but of course! Fumikage, you have discovered _l'amour_!"

"What's that?" Itsuka Kendo asked, and she got her answer when she got the phone. She giggled. "I'm so happy for Reiko. When's the first date?"

"That's my phone! This isn't fair!" Fumikage whined as Itsuka tossed the phone to Tenya Iida, who covered the screen with his hand.

"It is not fair to snoop on others!" he barked. "Students of class 1-A, I am very disappointed in you all!"

"Just read it. Ribbit," Tsuyu implored him.

"Very well..." Iida read the screen's text message and saluted Fumikage. "Fumikage Tokoyami! I am very happy for you! Please forgive the intrusion!"

"Show you're sorry by giving that back!" Fumikage scampered after Iida, but he tripped over the coffee table's legs and went sprawling just as the front door opened and Momo's parents stepped in. Fumikage skidded to a halt right at their feet in a defeated pile.

"Uh... good evening, Mr. Yaoyorozu. Mrs. Yaoyorozu..." Fumikage groaned in dismay.

"Mother! Father! You're home early," Momo said breathlessly, putting a hand over her heart. "I didn't expect..."

Mrs. Yaoyorozu smiled. "Surprise party for your friend?"

Momo blinked. "How did you know?"

"Wasn't it your ambition to throw a surprise party while you were in high school?" Mr. Yaoyorozu said with a chuckle.

"Well, yes..."

Fumikage staggered to his feet. "Is this how all surprise parties go? I feel like I'm gonna die..."

"Eh, this party was a five out of ten at most," Mineta said casually. "I mean, everyone's still wearing their clothes, for goodness' sake."

Jiro snorted. "Remind me not to come to _your_ birthday party."

"Too late. You're already invited."

"Spare me."

Meanwhile, Mrs. Yaoyorozu looked impressed. "These maid and butler costumes... are they for the festival tomorrow on Halloween?"

"They certainly are," Momo said brightly. "How do you like them?"

Momo and her parents went back and forth about the costumes, so everyone else took this as a cue to head out. Midoriya caught up to Toru.

"You said there's a list of couples at our school?" he asked her, quietly enough so that Ochaco wouldn't hear.

"Yeah," Toru said. "And your oni costume is really cute, by the way, Izuku."

"Thanks. Ochaco helped me make it."

"Thought so."

Izuku double-checked that Ochaco wasn't listening as the group crossed the Yaoyorozu front lawn. "Um... can I ask who's on it?"

"Momo and Tenya, Mr. Aizawa and Ms. Joke, Denki and Mina, Yosetsu Awase and some girl from another school he won't tell me about, Setsuna Tokage and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu, Itsuka Kendo and some guy from another school, and, uh..."

"Does this list include me?" Midoriya asked urgently.

"You're on the 'maybe' list with Ochaco," Toru said sagely. "I try not to presume too much, you see. The maybe list also has Mirio Togata and Nejire Hado from class 3-A. I know he's into her and she at least likes him as a friend, but I dunno how far they got. They're hard to read sometimes."

Midoriya felt vaguely offended that he was on the maybe list and not the proper list, but things were still early with him and Ochaco... he still needed his big break. "And now Fumikage and Reiko?"

"Oh, they're going on the 'definitely' list!" Toru said, humming to herself. "This evening's party confirms it."

Midoriya sighed. "Fumikage's already ahead of me?"

Midoriya couldn't see Toru's hand, but he felt her warm hand gently clap him on the shoulder. "I have faith in you, Izuku," she said. "You and Ochaco. I totally do."

"Thanks." Midoriya beamed. "Let's make it a great festival tomorrow."

"Yeah! Festival! Who's with me?" Toru suddenly cranked the volume to 11 as she leaped in the air to cheer, and everyone cheered with her, even Yosetsu, the dejected vampire magician.

Midoriya scowled and plugged his ears (Toru had been standing pretty close to him), but heck, Toru was probably right, and he _did_ appreciate her faith in him and Ochaco. The next step was to validate it! Somehow...


	20. Chapter 20

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 20: It's All Fun and Games (not where class 1-B is concerned, though)**

Momo Yaoyorozu, dressed as a witch maid, clapped her hands together once in class 1-A's converted homeroom. "Okay, everyone! Is all the tea ready?"

"Yeah!" Ochaco raised her hand, already in her Yuki-Onna outfit (white hair wig, pale face, black around her eyes).

Momo nodded. "All snacks?"

"They're ready," zombie-butler Shoto assured her.

"Okay. And most of all..." Momo raised her fist. "Our hospitality and grace in the class 1-A scary cafe! We can do it!"

 _"We can do it!"_ Midoriya raised a fist and cheered with Shoto and all six girls in class 1-A, all of them in their scary maid or butler outfits. This was finally it: the festival, today, on Halloween! It was 8:59 AM, and principal Nezu would, at any second now, announce the festival's start for the general public and the students' families. It was chilly outside, so the whole festival was hosted inside, and class 1-A's scary cafe was ready for operations. The desks were cleared out to make room for round wooden tables with classy chairs and tablecloths, plus vases of dead flowers and little toy skulls and bats. Plus the model grandfather clock with fake spiderwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and a real music box that Mina had lent them that played creepy music whenever anyone wound it. And most of all, the supplies table where all kinds of teas and other snacks were ready.

Oh, it was no big deal. Just proof of class 1-A's ingenuity!

More like their desperation to agree on something. Well, maybe next year would be more creative?

 _"Good morning! This is your principal speaking,"_ came an excited, familiar voice on the intercom. _"The school festival is about to start, and I want to say that I'm so very proud of each and every last one of you for your hard work!"_

Mina stomped a foot. "Oh, hurry up and start it, mouse man!"

"I thought the principal was a badger," Jiro said, frowning.

"No. A cute ferret!" Toru argued.

"A pain in the butt," Shoto muttered.

 _"And now, everyone, the festival will start in five, four, three, two, one..."_

There was a tone, and Midoriya instantly heard the chatter of hundreds of excited people touring the school. Midoriya felt a thrill in his stomach and he met Ochaco's eyes. She nodded, a smile on her face.

That's when the door opened.

"I'm just saying that we could have waited a little longer," a large, burly man said to his wife as they came in with a few other people. "Shoto will be fine, and he may need time to practice the routine - oh, hello, son."

Enji Todoroki, that huge and kinda scary guy, came right in, hands casually in his pockets as he checked the place out. "Oh, this is a maid cafe, right? I remember the seniors at my high school did something like this..."

A fair-haired woman elbowed him with a smile. "Dear, Shoto and his classmates worked hard. Be nice!"

"Right..." Enji cleared his throat. "I'd like some jasmine tea, please..." He thunked his heavy self down at a table, his wife seated next to him as the other guests took their seats.

"Me, too," his wife added.

"Uh..." Midoriya froze for just a second, exchanging nervous looks with the others. Then he snapped into form, and did a bow. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the haunted class 1-A maid cafe! I hope that your visit is _scary_ good!"

Mina wound the creepy music box, and everyone got to work.

"Here. The jasmine tea," Jiro said, getting a certain pitcher of tea. Mina set up a tray with two fancy teacups, and she let Jiro pour the hot tea. Then Mina carefully took the tray over to Shoto's parents with a spring in her step.

"Here's your tea, Todorokis!" she said cheerily as she served them. "It's nice and hot!"

"Thank you." Enji still looked a little skeptical as he took a sip, but then his eyes widened, his tense shoulders relaxed, and he took on a dreamy look.

"Oh my stars..." Enji clapped a hand over his heart. "I... I haven't had tea this good since my first year anniversary! Dear, don't you remember?"

"Like it was yesterday," his wife said, equally dreamy as she took a sip. "Enji, I love you!"

"I love you, too!"

They started kissing right then and there. Um...

Shoto clapped a hand over his face. "I need a new family."

Mina, meanwhile, had both hands clamped over her mouth to stifle her laughter. "I think it's working!" she choked out.

Midoriya patted Shoto on the back. "Maybe we'll let you take your break first."

"Please do."

It didn't stop there; the Kaminari family showed up too, and all three of them, Denki included, got the same dreamy, nostalgic look that the normally stern Enji Todoroki got, and Denki and Mina shared the horror of some serious PDA.

"I can't even look," Jiro complained, turning her back on her classmates as they continued to devour each other's faces.

"Come on guys, we have to be professional..." Midoriya put on a nervous smile as he served more guests, and he brought out some scones and croissants, too.

Then he realized that he was serving his mom.

"Izuku! You're so adorable!" Inko glowed when Midoriya gave her a teacup of Earl Grey. "I could just gobble you up!" She actually reached up and pinched his cheek.

Midoriya shared a mortified look with Shoto. _"Now I get it!"_ he mouthed.

Enji, meanwhile, thumped a fist on the table. "Another!" he boomed.

Shoto scowled. "What are you, a drunk samurai?"

"Don't talk to your father like that," Shoto's mom said, still in her dreamy trance. "And I need another too, please, Shoto dear... and you're such a cute little zombie boy today..."

Shoto looked like he'd rather jump into a shark tank, but he grudgingly obliged.

Midoriya waved hello to Jiro's parents and volunteered to serve them instead of make Jiro do it (she swore to owe him a favor), and hurried over to the tea station to get them something hot to drink.

Then he saw a face in the wall.

"Whoa!" Midoriya yelped in shock. He staggered back from the realistic face planted on the wall. "M-Momo, is that one of our decorations?"

Momo stared at the face. "What is _that_? A rubber mask? I don't remember putting it there..."

The face beamed. "Class 1-A, this looks like a real treat," it said.

The whole room fell dead silent.

Mina screamed at the top of her lungs, clutching her face. "It's a ghost! We're all gonna die!" She scampered out of the room, practically kicking up cartoon dust clouds as she went.

"Wh-what the hell?" Jiro stared in horror, her earphones quivering as though ready for a fight.

The face smiled even wider. "Oh. Sorry, guys. Allow me..."

An entire person materialized out of the wall, and he was a boy around 17 and a half, wearing... the school uniform? A student?  
The boy chuckled and scratched the back of his head. "I probably shouldn't have done that. But sometimes it's too much fun to resist." He bowed. "I'm Mirio Togata of class 3-A. Nice to meet you all." He was tall and brawny, with blond hair and bright blue eyes.

"Nice to meet you too..." Shoto's mom said, still in her trance as she sipped her sixth tea. Whoa, that lady was on a roll.

Mirio Togata turned to Midoriya and the others and bowed again. "I know it's Halloween, but I shouldn't give you a scare like that. Sorry!"

"It's all right," Momo said graciously. "But... why were you spying?"

"I just wanted to see what class 1-A was up to." Mirio held up a finger. "Last year, class 1-A really let us down, and this year, class 1-B has a really good exhibit. I wanted to see if you guys can catch up."

Tsuyu put a finger on her lower lip. "Do you like what you see? Ribbit."

Mirio made a crafty smile. "Well... when you guys take a break, check out the gymnasium to find out what class 1-B is up to. See you..."

He moved to phase through the wall again, but Tsuyu extended her tongue and seized his wrist.

"Have a drink. Ribbit," Tsuyu said.

Mirio shook his head. "I know what went into that tea. I don't think I should drink it. See you at the gym."

He phased through Tsuyu's tongue and vanished into the wall without a trace.

Ochaco stared. "What the heck was _that_ quirk?"

Momo held her face in her hands. "And what's in the tea? Did someone prank us and spike it?!"

As if on cue, Enji slapped a hand on the table. "Another!" he roared. "In fact, bring me the whole pitcher!"

"I wonder if there's any families around here looking to adopt," Shoto muttered.

Midoriya patted him on the back.

Everyone steered clear of the suspicious jasmine tea and served some lemonade instead, plus some scones to chase it down. A few minutes later, Mina carefully crept into the room, head hunched down as though expecting darts to fly at her. "Is... is it safe now?"

Jiro motioned. "Chill, Mina. It was just an upperclassman using this phasing quirk. He told us not to serve the tea. Something's funny about it..."

Mina blinked. "I tried to give it a lemon flavor. I wonder if I put the wrong stuff in it?"

"What did the label say?" Jiro demanded, hands on her lips.

Mina gave the brand name.

Toru giggled. "Uh... Mina, that's hard lemonade! It's got alcohol in it!"

"Another! Hit me!" Enji slapped the table again as his wife giggled at the commotion.

Mina went red. "Did I just turn this into some cheap bar?!"

"I could drink this all day..." Bakugo's mom said woozily, wiping her mouth with her sleeve. She hiccuped, and her husband chuckled at the sound.

Midoriya edged closer to Ochaco and leaned closer to her ear. "What do you say we take a break together and visit the gym?" he said quietly. "Just you and me?"

Ochaco went pink and nodded. "Yeah. I'd love that."

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya could hear class 1-B's festival exhibit well before he could see it, and Ochaco noticed, too.

"Oooooh. What's that music?" Ochaco wondered out loud as she and Midoriya headed for the gym's shut doors, hand in hand.

Midoriya tried to figure it out. "Is that... carnival music?"

"Oh, right. They said something about making a scary carnival," Ochaco said. "But I can't imagine they found a lot of stuff..."

She ate those words once she and Midoriya swung the doors open and stepped into the gym.

The music was louder in here, and so was the huge crowd. It seemed like half the festival was in here, and it looked more like a professional summer festival's crowd! There were even little kids seated on their parents' shoulders to see over the crowds around them!

Midoriya could hardly take in all the dazzling colors. There were at least six huge, colorful tents in here, like circus tents, and they had red, yellow, blue, and green stripes and pennants at the top. And that wasn't counting the colorful games and activities and food stalls, either. Funnel cake, hot dogs, corn dogs, candy, popcorn, and more, plus more native Japanese food like motchi and dried squid. Class 1-B's students looked like jesters, circus ring masters, and mimes, but they all had creepy makeup and face paint, and some even had gloves like monster paws or cat ears.

"Oh, it's like Halloween," Ochaco said, clearly impressed as she took in the scene, her hands on her hips. Midoriya could see it, too: fake spiderwebs on everything, plus pumpkins and gravestones here and there. And the music was all regular carnival or circus music, except in minor key for a really chilling effect.

"Ah-ha! Finally, class 1-A decides to show up."

A familiar, smirking blond boy emerged from the crowds: Neito Monoma, dressed as a jester in a green and black outfit. "I thought you guys would be too wrapped up in your maid cafe. Is it canceled already? Must be, if you're here."

Before Midoriya could shoot back with one of the many rude phrases Bakugo had taught him during their bicycle trips, Itsuka Kendo emerged, an annoyed look on her face as she conked Neito on the head with her fist. The blond boy crumpled to the ground, vaguely muttering nonsense.

"Sorry about that." Itsuka bowed as well as she could in her scary doll outfit. "Welcome to the class 1-B carnival! I hope you have a spooky good time."

"I love it!" Ochaco clapped her hands together and squealed with delight. "Itsuka, this is wonderful! Don't tell Neito, but I think class 1-B has the best show at the festival this year."

Just to be sure, everyone checked if Neito heard that. Nope; he was still mumbling down there on the floor, frothing at the mouth. He was much more palatable this way.

"Thanks, guys." Itsuka made a bashful chuckle as she toyed with her hair. "You both look really cute, too. Oni butler and Yuka-Onna maid, right?"

"Yeah!" Ochaco did a courtesy bow like a British maid. "Stop by class 1-A for a drink when you get the chance, Itsuka. But we need to get new jasmine tea first."

Itsuka blinked. "But that's my favorite. What's wrong with it?"

"Recipe mishap. Let's just keep it at that," Midoriya said with a wince. "You should've seen Shoto's dad."

Itsuka smiled. "I'll visit when I get a break. And look at you both, on a date to my class's carnival... it makes a class rep like me really happy."

Midoriya and Ochaco automatically glanced at each other, pink in the face. But Itsuka was right; why not go out for a little fun and call it a date? They nodded at each other.

"I hardly know where to start," Ochaco commented. "This carnival is huge."

Itsuka checked her cell phone's clock. "Oh! Yosetsu's show is about to start. Why don't you give it a try?"

"Will do. See you around." Midoriya held Ochaco's hand in his gloved hand and led her to the stage at the gym's center, where a crowd was gathering at the fold-out chairs and getting seated. Midoriya and Ochaco found seats somewhere in the middle of the audience, and just in time, the gym's lights dimmed.

The music cut off, and now a new song came on, a haunting and creepy tune that made Midoriya think of spooky dollhouses and Gothic stuff like that. Yosetsu Awase, decked out in his vampire outfit complete with a black cape and an upturned black collar, swooped on stage like a bat.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Welcome," he said in a funny accent. "Be amazed, be terrified, be in awe as my show begins!" He spread his arms wide, and his classmates tossed colorful streamers onto the stage for effect, and the audience clapped.

 _He's looking better,_ Midoriya thought as Yosetsu did his routine. None of that anxiety from earlier.

"For my first trick," Yosetsu said, "I present: the floating girl! If you please?"

At once, two of the boys from class 1-B (dressed as jesters) sprang onto the stage and set up... a lot of stuff, actually. They moved a rectangular platform to the stage's center, and it already had a red cloth draped over it. Then they set up two wooden chairs to support it at either side, and Yosetsu took his place right behind the board, at one of the longer sides.

"And now, the lovely lady!"

This time, Ibara Shiozaki stepped onto the stage, smiling and waving, her green vine-hair contrasting with the dark purple curtain behind her. She sat on the table's edge, then lay down. It was just her size.

Now, the two jester assistants wrapped up the cloth around Ibara like a blanket, and they removed the two chairs and stepped aside.

Midoriya stared. What the...? It looked like the platform was floating! There wasn't anything holding it up at all.

"How are you down there, Ibara?" Yosetsu asked her, and the audience chuckled. "Maybe you'd like a lift?"

He spread his arms and wiggled his fingers, and Midoriya's jaw dropped in shock as the platform started drifting up, Ibara and all! How was he doing that?!

Ibara rose to shoulder height, and she gave the audience a reassuring smile. "Watch this," she dared them.

Now Yosetsu accepted a metal hula hoop from an assistant, and he held it in position near Ibara's head. Then he passed it through her, platform and all. It didn't hit a single support wire or metal rod or anything, and Ochaco had her hands over her mouth by now, her eyes wide with shock. She wasn't the only one stunned; there were exclamations of incredulity in the audience all over.

Yosetsu passed the hoop through Ibara again just to prove that there was nothing holding her up. "There you have it: the floating girl," he announced. "It's time to let her down."

Just like that, Ibara lowered back into position, and once there, the two assistants hurried over and put the support chairs back into position, and they lowered the cloth again. Ibara swung her legs over the edge and stood, her arms wide.

 _No way!_ Midoriya clapped hard with everyone else as Yosetsu did a stage bow.

Ochaco was quivering. "D-Deku! How did he do that?" she cried over the applause. "How is that even possible?"

"It's just a trick. He's got a method of some kind," Midoriya said. "Is this your first magic show?"

'Yeah. My parents don't like that kind of thing, so I never saw anything like this." Ochaco held her head in her hands, looking dizzy. "Was it his quirk?"

"Doubt it. His quirk is weld. I don't think he could make Ibara float like that."

"Oh my goodness..." Ochaco looked like she was about to hyperventilate while Yosetsu set up his next trick.

"Ochaco, are you okay? Should we leave?"

Ochaco shook her head. "N-no. I gotta see more of this! It's unreal!"

Midoriya beamed. "Let's enjoy the show."

"Yeah!"

Yosetsu wasn't content to keep the audience waiting for long. Next, he made live doves appear and disappear from his hands, transformed them into ribbons, or made them vanish in puffs of smoke and sparks. He also filled a glass with water, said some nonsense, then tilted the glass and... the water vanished. Nothing on the stage, nothing in the glass. What was up with that?!

"And now the cards!" Yosetsu drew a pack of playing cards. "I need a volunteer..."

Lots of hands went up. Yosetsu pointed right at Ochaco. "How about you?" he said.

Ochaco eagerly went on stage, and she picked a card when Yosetsu asked. He shuffled the deck, flipped some cards, then started sorting through them. "Was _this_ your card?" he held out the seven of spades.

Ochaco shook her head.

"Uh..." Yosetsu went red as he shuffled the deck again and presented another card, the queen of hearts. "Was this your card...?"

"Sorry, no."

"Dammit! Not again!" Yosetsu shuffled the deck and needed four more tries to get it, the two of clubs. The audience made some sympathetic noises as they clapped and Ochaco took her seat.

"Well, he's just a kid," a parent in the row ahead of Midoriya said to his wife.

"But he did those other tricks so well..." his wife commented.

 _Looks like Yosetsu still can't handle the cards,_ Midoriya thought as Yosetsu hastily moved on to his next trick, blowing on blank pieces of paper and turning them into money. Were those cards just cursed, or did he have sloppy fingers? Let's hope he would never visit the blackjack or poker tables when he's older!

The show ended about ten minutes later, and the audience gave a standing ovation for the young vampire magician. Ochaco was bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet as she and Midoriya got up and joined the general crowd.

"That. Was. So. Cool!" Ochaco squealed. "Deku, I've never seen anything like that! It's so crazy! You're sure he didn't use his quirk?"

Midoriya smiled. "I think Yosetsu designed his show so that his quirk couldn't possibly affect things."

"Okay. And it was so much fun!" Ochaco fondly wrapped her arms around Midoriya's arm as they explored more of class 1-B's scary carnival. "I'm so glad I moved into this town. I've met so many wonderful people here."

"And we're happy to have you here too," Midoriya said brightly, his heart racing in his chest. Damn, if this place weren't so crowded...

"I think we won, Midoriya, Uraraka," a snide voice said. The evil jester Neito Monoma confronted them once again, cotton candy in his left hand, a funnel cake in the right.

Midoriya frowned. "Won _what_?"

Neito took a casual bite of cotton candy and nearly choked on it. When he recovered, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and said, "the contest to see which class has the best exhibit in the culture festival today. Go ahead, admit defeat."

"But we aren't competing." Midoriya wanted to strangle this jerk, but he tried to act casual and started to walk off. "Everyone's doing a good job. That's what counts."

"Ha! Says sore loser class 1-A!" Neito taunted him, until Itsuka Kendo appeared and did what looked like the Vulcan nerve pinch on his shoulder. Neito yelped and scampered off.

"Sorry about that. Again!" Itsuka bowed. "I promise, the rest of us in class 1-B want to put on a good show, not make class 1-A look bad."

"Thanks, Itsuka. But honestly..." Once again, Midoriya checked to make sure that Neito was out of earshot before he added, "but if it were a contest, class 1-B won. This Halloween carnival is incredible."

"You really think so? Thank you!" Itsuka went pink and held her face as she smiled. "If you didn't have a date, I'd hug you!"

Midoriya felt Ochaco possessively hug his arm tighter.

Itsuka tossed her hair. "Anyway, I need to check the concession stands, then I'll take my little break. See you guys around..." She winked and melted into the crowds.

"She's so nice," Midoriya commented.

"Yeah. She is," Ochaco said tightly. "You're popular, Izuku."

"Kind of. Some see me as the nice guy, everyone's friend."

"Really." Ochaco looked a little tense as she led him along the carnival, checking out the sights and sounds. They also ran into Reiko Yanagi, the quiet, ghost-loving girl, and she looked antsy.

"Are you all right?" Midoriya asked.

"I have to run this cotton candy stall," Reiko complained. "I just want to visit your maid cafe with Fumikage. He promised we'd have a drink together!" She pouted.

Midoriya felt himself grin. "Got yourself a friend, huh? I'm happy for you."

Reiko went bright pink and hid herself behind the cotton candy machine.

Ochaco giggled as she and Midoriya moved on. "Oh, she really likes him," she commented. "I'm happy for her, too. I've heard she doesn't have many friends. Poor thing. Everyone should have lots of good friends."

"Yeah." Midoriya didn't want to part with Ochaco, but he _really_ needed a bathroom break by now. "Hey, Ochaco, I'll be back in a couple of minutes. Men's room."

"Okay. See you soon." Ochaco waved good-bye, and Midoriya strode out of the gym.

 _Oh, she's totally being jealous,_ Midoriya thought, with a goofy spring in his step as he approached the bathroom. It was flattering how Ochaco was shielding him from other girls' attention, like how they did in those rom-coms his mom watched. But then again, he didn't like Ochaco being tense or upset. Maybe he should tell Itsuka to keep things totally friendly in the future...

Midoriya was just washing his hands when he looked in the mirror and spotted a familiar face in the wall behind him.

"Oh. Mirio Togata, right?" Midoriya wasn't nearly alarmed this time as the upperclassman materialized out of the wall, but this time, Mirio looked concerned.

"Right. Uh..." Mirio waited until Midoriya finished toweling off his hands, then cleared his throat. "Izuku..."

"What's on your mind?"

Mirio checked the door as though expecting eavesdroppers, then leaned a little closer to the younger boy. "Could I have your help?"


	21. Chapter 21

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 21: Just Lending a Helping Hand (no refunds!)**

"I have to say, Mirio, this kinda feels backwards to me," Midoriya admitted as Mirio Togata led him to a nearby empty classroom.

"Oh, really? Why is that?" Mirio's simple smile never left his face as he swung open the door and let Midoriya walk in first.

Midoriya shut the door and shrugged. "Well, you know... you're an upperclassman. Shouldn't a first-year like me come to _you_ for help or advice?"

Mirio's smile widened. "Ah, but young Midoriya, age alone doesn't determine what a person can do. You'd be surprised what people are capable of."

 _He's a smart guy, all right._ Midoriya didn't bother with the light, since it was a sunny morning and the window shades were rolled up. "So... what's the problem?"

"It... well..." Mirio looked uneasy as he sat on the edge of the teacher's desk, fiddling with his thumbs in his lap.

"Take your time."

Miro made an embarrassed chuckle as he scratched the back of his head. He seemed to be at a loss for words.

Midoriya nearly gasped out loud. He knew what this meant... "There's a girl?"

Mirio brightened. "Yeah." He snapped his fingers. "See? I knew you'd understand. Some say that you're the Steve Harvey of our school."

Midoriya knew what the real Steve Harvey looked like, and resolved not to grow that mustache anytime soon. "Uh... sure. So what's her name?"

"Nejire Hado." Mirio went pink and he grinned sheepishly. "She's so smart and beautiful. But she's also really popular, so it's tough to get any alone time with her. She brings a whole platoon of friends to the bathroom. Heck, that girl can't open her pencil case without some friends nearby."

"Hmmmmm, that's a tough one." Midoriya glanced down and rubbed his chin in thought. He'd had it easier with Ochaco, since she was new to the class and didn't have a squad of girlfriends around her 24/7. He'd seen Nejire around the school once or twice... she had long, baby-blue hair and a cheery expression like Mirio's, and sure enough, Midoriya had never seen her alone.

Mirio leaned forward intently. "Do you have any ideas on what I should do?"

Midoriya cleared his throat. "There's simple strategies for this, Mirio. I -"

"Hold on!" Mirio jumped down, seized a piece of chalk, and wrote "MIDORIYA SECRET TACTICAL HANDBOOK" in kanji, then underlined it.

Midoriya scowled. "What is _that_ supposed to be?"

"Please explain your plan to me!" Mirio bowed. "I implore you!"

 _I'd give my left arm for a sane friend..._ Midoriya glanced around in thought. "You have her cell phone number?"

"I do!"

"All you have to do is invite her somewhere with you after school or on the weekends. Something like, 'Hey Nejire, let's go to WacDonald's after class and get a burger!' or 'Nejire, let's go to that new motchi stand down the street.' You get the idea."

Mirio wrote that down, but added "unlikely to work." He hung his head. "Look, Midoriya, that might work on some girls, but Nejire would bring her friends with her."

"Tell her that it's just you and her going out to eat."

"Believe me, she'd insist on bringing a whole girls' baseball team with her."

"Well..." Midoriya scratched his head just like Mirio had done. "Invite her to something that's supposed to be private. Like tutoring." He pointed at Mirio. "Even if you're the top student in the class -"

"No, Tamaki is. I'm third."

Midoriya didn't miss a beat. "Then at least _pretend_ that you don't understand the homework, or you need to cram for a test, and she's the _only_ one who can help. Bring her to your place to study."

Mirio wrote that down. "She'd bring friends," he pointed out.

Midoriya rolled his eyes. "This is nuts."

"I'm sorry, Midoriya, but if this were easy, I could do this by myself." Mirio sounded skeptical even as he said it, though. Midoriya voiced this concern.

Mirio went redder and waved a hand rapidly. "N-no! I..." He glanced down. "You got me, Midoriya. Even if I could get her alone, I'm too much of a gentleman to do anything! All I ever do is support others and give my time for my classmates. I don't think I could do something so self-centered."

"Mirio, there's nothing selfish about pursuing the girl of your dreams! Everyone does it!" Midoriya gestured. He felt like he was wading deeper into a swamp where all the frogs were making fun of him. Maybe they thought he was a sucker.

So did Bakugo, in fact.

Mirio slowly ran his hands over his face and groaned. "I actually did try that once. But it's so tough to not just help everyone, you know? And she has such an innocent look... I feel like I'm taking advantage of her."

Midoriya nodded. "You were raised to be a perfect gentleman, right?"

"Right."

Midoriya puffed out his chest and put his hands on his hips. "Then it is clear what you must do!"

"Oh!" Mirio got his chalk into position. "Please tell me."

"Become a bad boy."

Mirio's face fell. "What?"

"I'm not telling you to be a total jerk," Midoriya hastily added. "But you _can_ have the cool-guy attitude that girls sometimes like. Maybe Nejire will see you in a new light, and dig the new you. Be like an old-fashioned _bancho_ , a juvenile delinquent."

Mirio's eyes widened. "A _bancho_? Isn't that from the 1970s or something?"

"It's the closest thing I could think of," Midoriya said, and he was starting to sweat. To be totally honest, this was probably a dumb idea. But Mirio was putting up all kinds of obstacles, and Midoriya just wanted to get back to the spooky carnival with Ochaco...

Mirio hesitated. "Could I really do that?"

"Look up some delinquents on your phone. Like stock photos."

"Um..." Mirio got out an older smart phone model and did an image search. He frowned. "These guys look like they'd take my lunch money."

"No, it's okay. The idea is..." Midoriya fought to find the right words for the wrong idea. Poor Mirio... "You're supposed to be detached, and aloof. Don't come on too strong. Just tease the fact that you're into her, and she'll be intrigued enough to pursue you. Act like she's just one of several girls you're testing out."

"But there's no other girls. The lovely Nejire is the one for me!" Mirio looked like a cherub as he went red and held his head in his hands, a happy look on his face.

Midoriya sighed. "Not a good start, Mirio."

Mirio snapped to attention. "Right! Detached! Delinquent! Cool guy." He hurried to write this on the chalkboard.

"I hope you plan on erasing all this," Midoriya commented as Mirio kept brainstorming on the board.

"Sorry, Midoriya. Gotta get this down..." Mirio filled the entire chalkboard with notes and ideas (complete with bar graphs and a detailed drawing of the human anatomy) before setting down his smoking chalk piece.

Midoriya whistled. "Impressive work."

"Don't worry, little Midoriya." Mirio gave the thumbs up. "I can totally do this! I'm so happy!"

Midoriya raised his eyebrows.

"I mean..." Mirio slouched, a lazy scowl on his face. "Sure, whatevs. I guess. What's it to you, eh?"

"O... okay. Let's get the girl."

Mirio grunted. "You ain't the boss of me."

"But -"

Mirio held up a threatening fist. "You think you better than me? Huh?!"

"Hey -!"

Mirio grinned. "See? Delinquent!"

Midoriya slapped a hand over his face. _I've created a monster!_

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya wasn't sure what class 3-A had prepared for their part of the festival, but boy was it drawing in a crowd! Up on the third floor of the school, Midoriya ran right into dense crowds of festival-goers who were eager to get into class 3-A's homeroom. "What's going on here?" he asked Mirio over the chatter of the crowds.

Mirio gave the thumbs-up. "We really knocked it out of the park this time, Midoriya. It was a stroke of genius!"

"But what is it?"

"I want you to be surprised."

"Will Nejire be in there?"

Mirio went pink. "She sure will. Come on, bud."

With that, Mirio took hold of Midoriya's shoulders and somehow carved a path through the crowds and into class 3-A's homeroom. Right away, Midoriya saw what the big deal was. He was practically being hit over the head with it.

 _Summer!_

It was like a typical Japanese summertime festival in here. Class 3-A's students dressed in summertime yukatas (the girls especially looked great), and there were stalls selling yakitori, takoyaki, crepes, and best of all, soba noodles! The combined culinary scent was almost too much to bear! And the stalls were decorated with paper lanterns, streamers, and more.

Midoriya looked down to his left and saw a kid playing the goldfish scooping game in a plastic tub, and one of the girls from class 3-A waved.

"Oh, hi. You're one of the first years, right?" she said.

Midoriya was so shocked by this summertime scene he barely got the words out. "Y-yeah. I'm here with Mirio. Is Nejire around?"

"She's right over there," the girl said kindly. She pointed to a stall further along, where, to Midoriya's shock, stood the rifle game, where patrons could use toy rifles to shoot scrolling targets on a board. Where the heck did class 3-A get all these things?!

Mirio patted Midoriya's back. "Like it, huh?"

"How..."

"How?" Mirio chuckled. "Sorry. We actually kind of cheated a bit. Tamaki's family actually works at a company that hosts these kinds of festivals, so we borrowed some of their equipment. But we did the hard work ourselves wherever we could!" He beamed and flexed his right biceps. "We cooked the food, set up the decorations, got our own clothes... and here we are."

"Here we are," Midoriya repeated faintly. "Summertime on Halloween..." He shook his head to clear it. "So... let's meet your dream girl."

"Of course!" Mirio escorted Midoriya across the room and cleared his throat. " _Bancho_ , right? Cool-buy delinquent?"

"If that's how you want to phrase it." As Midoriya spoke, he texted Ochaco: _I'm checking out class 3-A's exhibit. I'll see you later, okay?_

Then they arrived at the rifle game stall, right next to a mouth-watering soba noodle stand, and a girl with baby-blue hair sprang into Mirio's arms and hugged him.

"There you are!" she cried. "Where have you been?"

Mirio glanced nervously at Midoriya, who gave an very encouraging nod for a very stupid idea. "I..." He adopted what vaguely resembled a tough face. "Been hangin' out, babe. Nothin' special." He shrugged.

"Ohhhhh, all right." Nejire let him go and bowed to Midoriya. "Hi! I'm Nejire Hado. Or have we met before?"

"I think I've seen you around. Nice to see you again," Midoriya said brightly. "This room... I can't believe my eyes."

"Right?" Nejire clapped her hands once and bobbed up and down on the balls of her feet. She was dressed in a vivid orange and yellow yukata ensemble, with a few pins in her voluminous hair. "We thought, 'hey, everyone's getting tired of the cold, so let's do some summertime nostalgia to stand out!' and it totally worked!"

"No kidding." Midoriya had been to real summer festivals with his mom over the years, and this exhibit was actually better than some of them. Seniors are not to be underestimated!

"Oh! Have some taiyaki. On me." Nejire swooped down on the nearest food stall (the boy working there scowled at her) and she returned with a plate of taiyaki, fish-shaped pastries with red bean paste filling.

Midoriya tried one and beamed. "It's great!"

"I know! Miro, try a bite." Nejire offered him some, but Mirio tried making a tough scowl.

"Naw, I'm not hungry, doll," he said gruffly.

Nejire blinked. "All... all right, then." Then she brightened. "Try some games, guys! I'll get motchi for the winner!"

 _She loves contests!_ Mirio mouthed to Midoriya when Nejire wasn't looking, and the two boys tried out all the games in the festival. To make Mirio look good (not that was very good at these games anyway), Midoriya made sure to lose them all, and Nejire made an excited squeal and glomped Mirio again.

"You won again," she said with delight. "You're really good at these."

"I ain't got time for games, sweetheart," Mirio said in the same gruff voice. He broke from her embrace and leaned against a soba noddle stand in a tough pose.

Nejire looked concerned. "Um... Mirio, are you angry with me?"  
Mirio motioned. "Tough guy like me doesn't need any games. Did I show you my new tattoo? It's killer."

Suddenly, dealing with Neito Monoma back at the creepy circus felt very nostalgic. How did it come to this?!

Nejire definitely looked alarmed. "You... got a tattoo? When?"

Mirio leaned even more against the soba stand that two of his classmates were operating (they both gave him funny looks). "It's a dragon," he said, "holding a sword, fighting a tiger. One of my buddies has connections, y'see, and hooked me up with a cool crowd. I'll show it to ya later, babe. Just you and me."

"Uh... is this some act, Mirio? This isn't like you..."

Mirio grunted. "I mean, it's not like _I_ care or nothin'. I gotta go. I might see you around -"

 _CRASH!_ Mirio leaned too hard against the stand, and the whole thing came apart. Mirio collapsed right into the middle of the stand, covered with the overhead banner and cooked noodles. Nearby people cried out in alarm and backed away.

"Mirio!" Nejire knelt and helped him out of the rubble. "What is going _on_ with you?"

"I-I didn't mean...!" Mirio was covered with noodles, and he used his phasing quirk to let them fall off him. He turned solid again and quickly said, "Nejire, I just wanna impress you. Don't you think I'm cool?"

Nejire looked distinctly angry as she pointed at the door. "Get out of here. Right now."

"Nejire -"

"Go away!"

Looking mortified, Mirio scampered out of the room and out of sight.

Nejire was still fuming as she toyed with her hair to preoccupy herself, watching the door frame. "I'm sorry about that, Izuku Midoriya. He's such a sweet guy normally. I don't know why he's acting like this all of a sudden."

"Uh..." Midoriya froze. He only needed a second to realize what was going on here, but he didn't feel like revealing his role in this. Mirio would have to explain it later, when he made this up to Nejire. "It's okay. I gotta get back to my class's exhibit, anyway."

"All right." Nejire nodded. "Thanks for coming by."

Midoriya had a hunch where he'd find Mirio, and sure enough, he found the brawny upperclassman holed up in the bathroom near the gym. Midoriya could hear the scary circus music from here, but he was in no mood for jesters or vampire magicians.

Mirio sat huddled in the corner, arms wrapped around his legs. "I ruined everything, Izuku," he moaned. "How could I make such a fool of myself?"

Izuku knelt by Mirio. "I'm the one who's sorry, Mirio. I pushed you into trying that terrible idea. This is on me."

"You? Why? It was a great idea!"

Midoriya winced. "I have to admit it: I don't really know how to get Nejire to fall for you. I just went with the first idea that came to mind, and it made things worse."

Mirio nodded, but he still looked pretty downcast. "No more _bancho_ Mirio. I'm putting that guy back in the '70s where he belongs."

"Good call."

Mirio was quiet for a few seconds, then looked up. "I don't know if I can make this up to her. It's such a mess. Do you have any ideas, Midoriya?"

"You want _my_ advice?"

Mirio made a watery smile. "I trust you, kid."

Now Midoriya was the one who wanted to cry. Mirio had a heart of gold, and dumbass Midoriya totally didn't deserve it...!

Midoriya cleared his throat and shoved the self-pity into some corner of his brain. Stupid thing. "Nejire knows you pretty well, right? Just to be sure: are you good friends with her?"

Mirio nodded. "She, Tamaki, and I go way back."

"I can tell from our time in your homeroom's exhibit: she likes you, Mirio, but she might be afraid of ruining your friendship. And on top of that, she was offended that you tried hitting on her by acting like someone you're not. She felt that you considered your friendship not worth involving in your romantic advances. In her eyes, you were throwing away your friendship."

Mirio stared in awe. "That's... genius!" He gave the thumbs up and sprang to his feet. "You're totally the Steve Harvey of our school! This is incredible!"

"S... sure." Midoriya hoped that Mirio wasn't about to hug him. This guy could splinter a mighty oak with those arms. He took a step back. "I admit, I can't be a perfect matchmaker for you, Miro. But I _can_ say for sure that you shouldn't forget your great friendship with her. She clearly values it deeply. Keep it close to the chest."

Mirio patted his fist over his heart and nodded. "Of course! Thank you, Steve Harvey! I will never forget this."

Midoriya yelped. "Please, oh please don't make that my official nickname. I don't wanna grow that mustache!"

Mirio blinked. "Huh?"  
Midoriya looked at himself in the mirror, the oni butler, and rolled his eyes. _This is the kind of life where you need a vacation from your vacation._ He turned back to Mirio. "Look, just be cool. As in, Mirio Togata cool. Being authentic has no substitutes."

"Right!"

"Give it a day. Apologize to her tomorrow and explain whatever you need to," Midoriya said. "I'll see you around." He grinned. "And best of luck, Mr. stud. Nejire wasn't the only girl in there checking you out."

Mirio r embarassed smile. "Oh, my!"

On that note, Midoriya made his way through class 1-B's scary carnival and finally met up with Ochaco, who was watching Yosetsu Awase desperately practicing his card tricks.

"Is _this_ your card?" Yosetsu asked the beast-headed Jurota Shishida, who shook his head.

Ochaco patted the dismayed Yosetsu on the back. "You can't get them all, Yosetsu. But don't worry. I still loved your show!"

Yosetsu sniffed, blinking a few times. "Yeah..."

"Deku!" Ochaco brightened when she saw Midoriya, and she once again wrapped her arms around his right arm. "There you are. Where have you been?"

"Class 3-A's exhibit. It's really cool."

"Let's check it out. But first, I kinda want some tea." Ochaco hummed happily to herself as she led Midoriya back to class 1-A's haunted maid cafe.

Midoriya felt pretty lousy about sabotaging poor Mirio... but Mirio was on track to set things right, and the scary maid cafe wasn't _that_ lame an idea. A cup of tea with Ochaco sounded pretty good right now. He swung the door open.

"There you are. Ribbit," Tsuyu said, clearly relieved as she served tea to another table's guests. "We're swamped!"

"I'm sorry. We -" Ochaco started, then she went cherry red at the sight before her.

So did Midoriya. The scary maid cafe of class 1-A was now strictly a couple's cafe! Everyone's parents were sharing tea and looking fondly into each other's eyes, and once again, Mina and Denki were doing some PG-13 making out near the back. Not to mention the new power couple of Momo and Tenya Iida at a table, being all flirty over teacups of oolong tea.

"What's up, my man?" Fumikage Tokoyami looked way more relaxed than usual as he reclined in his seat with a giggling Reiko Yanagi. "Join us, Izuku. The tea's hot."

"Hear, hear!" everyone chorused as they raised their cups.

"Izuku! There you are!" Inko Midoriya waved from her seat at a nearby table. "It's so romantic in here... I'm thinking I might re-enter the dating scene sometime soon! Do you think I have a shot?" She smoothed her blouse.

"Ochaco! Honey!" Mrs. Uraraka waved to her daughter just like Inko had to Midoriya. "You're just in time. Bring your boyfriend over here and we can chat over tea!"

"Pull up a seat, kids," Mr. Uraraka added. "The tea's fine."

Ochaco and Midoriya gave each other a mortified look and bolted from the room together, not stopping until they reached the other side of the school where no one else was around.

"This is nothing like... my old high school," Ochaco panted, leaning against a vending machine. She wiped her brow. "Oh my..."

"I know. It'll drive you nuts." Midoriya got out a 100 yen bill and put it into the vending machine. He pressed a button, and got a can of iced tea from it. He handed it to Ochaco.

She gawked. "F-for me?"

"We should have our own tea." Midoriya beamed and got another for himself. "Let's just stay here awhile where it's nice and quiet."

Ochaco beamed and sat against the wall, cracking open her canned tea. "Yeah! Come sit with me."

"I'll make myself comfortable." Midoriya settled down next to her, opened his canned tea, and took a drink. It wasn't that great, but he didn't mind. He idly watched the far wall. "This is better."

"So much better." Ochaco took a drink too. "I'm kind of burnt out on the festival. Too much noise. How about you?"

"Mmmmmm. Same here."

Midoriya glanced at Ochaco's eyes. Their eyes met, and they both burst out laughing for some reason.

"What's so funny?" Midoriya asked between chuckles.

"Nothing!" Ochaco hid her giggling behind her hand. "What're _you_ laughing at?"

"Nothin'! I swear!"

"You'd better!"

Ochaco settled down, taking another sip of her drink. "You're right. This _is_ nice. I'd like to stay here awhile."

Midoriya calmed down too and took a sip. "Make that two."

They hardly noticed as the crowds gradually dispersed as the festival came to a close later that afternoon.


	22. Chapter 22

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 22: Just a Token of Appreciation (are there strings attached? ARE THERE?)**

Even by mid-November, Midoriya was still hearing about class 1-B's stellar exhibit during Halloween's culture festival, and it was finally starting to get annoying, even whenever Itsuka Kendo punted Neito out the nearest window to cut his bragging sessions short (what a lifesaver). Ms. Kayama even launched an unofficial poll among all the students, and as expected, class 1-B came out on top, with class 3-A in a close second and everyone else trailed way behind. But then again, all the couples Midoriya ran into commented on how lovely the scary maid cafe was for them.

Like Midoriya needed any more reminding!

"What the heck is that?" Midoriya asked one day at lunch. He craned his neck over to peek at whatever Bakugo was sketching on a piece of paper.

Bakugo defensively whisked the paper away. "N-nothing. Forget it, Deku."

"Come on, spill it." Midoriya lunged for the paper, but Bakugo held it further away, his quirk starting to spark.

"I'll burn it," Bakugo warned. "Like how super-spies burn up papers after reading them. I'll go James Bond on you."

"Kacchan..."

Suddenly, the paper jerked free of Bakugo's hand and floated away! Ghosts!

Toru Hagakure, actually. Her school uniform drifted by, and she giggled. "Ooooooh, King Explosion Murder is getting into the dating game!" she crowed.

Bakugo went red and swiped at the paper just like Midoriya had done. "Hey, I gave up on that stupid nickname when I was younger. I'm all grown up now! Now gimme that back! Come on! I hate you!"

Midoriya made a sly smile as he rested his chin on his palms. "See how it feels, Kacchan?"

"Can it, Deku!"

Toru handed the paper to Midoriya. "Check it out. Turns out that King Explo -"

"Fight me!" Bakugo held out a hand, his quirk sizzling on his palm.

Toru was faster; she seized Bakugo's puddng and dumped it on his head to distract him while Midoriya checked out the paper.

While Bakugo wiped his hair with paper towels and said some pretty PG-13 stuff, Midoriya realized that Kacchan had drawn... a love chart! That is, a complex pattern of who was into whom, and their odds of success. Midoriya gawked. "Kacchan, you're really getting into the game, too?" He handed the chart back to Toru.

Bakugo shook his head like a dog to rid it of pudding and managed to get some on Iida's glasses. "Yeah," he said casually. "No biggie."

"Yes biggie!" Toru waved the paper around like it was a check for a billion yen. "Who's the girl you're into, you bad boy?"

"A few," Bakugo said, glancing away. "This school has a lot of hotties, y'know. Especially in classes 1-B and 1-C. It feels like everyone's hookin' up this semester."

He suddenly assumed a demonic aura, looming large as his teeth became sharp in a wicked grin. "And there's the bonus of getting my mom off my back! She's all 'Katsuki, why don't you have a girlfriend?' or 'Katsuki, you should be nicer to girls!' or 'Katsuki, stop setting the washing machine on fire!' In fact, that last one was just last night..."

Toru burst out laughing. "Oh, this is the juiciest thing I heard all week!" she cried. Bakugo winced and bobbed his head; apparently, Toru just patted his head like he was a dog.

"Whatever!" Bakugo snatched the paper from Toru's hand with his teeth and growled. "This is mine!" he added through the paper.

"I have just the thing for this." Toru dug through her backpack and produced a small diary with pink covers, and she flipped it open to the middle and started writing something down.

"Is that your relationship tracker?" Midoriya asked. "The fabled texts?"

"Sure is, lover boy," Toru said warmly. "I've still got you and Ochaco in the 'maybe' list -"

Midoriya groaned.

"But don't worry, you're almost there," Toru assured him. "And Mirio Togata, that poor boy... I heard he freaked Nejire out, but I think they smoothed things over. Good for them. Now as for Katsuki..." She started writing some more.

Bakugo looked at her suspiciously. "What did you write?"

"I've got you on the 'potential' list with Setsuna Tokage, Yui Kodai, Mei Hatsume -"  
Bakugo took a sip of his drink just so he could spit it out all over Iida. "What the hell?! The bike shop girl?"

"Hey, based on your chart, it's a 65% probability," Toru said in a singsong voice. "What, you can't even read your own chart?"

Bakugo looked thunderstruck. "Han Solo was right. Women really do always find out the truth."

Iida, meanwhile, grumbled some very PG-13 things about Bakugo as he wiped his glasses. Momo patted him on the back to comfort him.

"Toru, I'm telling you. Ochaco and me... we're a sure thing," Midoriya said. He stole a glance down the table and fondly watched Ochaco chatting with Mina and Tsuyu, all three of them giggling at something.

"Well... let's call it 87%," Toru said.

"Feels like 100% to me."

Toru giggled again. "And that's what counts the most."

At that very moment, Setsuna Tokage, one of the girls from class 1-B, came over, her hands clasped behind her back. "H-hi, Izuku," she said, going a little pink in the face.

Midoriya waved. "Oh, hey there. Setsuna, right?"

"Yeah." Setsuna beamed. "Yosetsu was telling everyone how much you helped him with his magic show, and how much you loved our carnival exhibit during the festival."

Midoriya nodded. "You guys really gave it your all."

"So..." Setsuna tossed her hair. "Tomorrow's Sunday. We'll take you out for lunch, Izuku, to say thanks."

"Oh, you don't have to -"

"Please?" Setsuna glanced at a table further in the cafeteria, then gave Izuku an imploring look, her hands now clasped under her chin. "You're such a nice guy, Izuku. Join us for lunch."

Midoriya totally wasn't expecting this, but then again, he got along great with Yosetsu and Itsuka, and Pony and Ibara liked him pretty well, too. He gave the thumbs up. "Send me a text tonight, and I'll meet up with you guys. And thanks."

"Great! See you tomorrow!" Setsuna bashfully returned the thumbs-up, then skipped away.

Bakugo stared. "And I thought class 1-A had all the psychos. Ow!" He winced and bowed his head.

Toru made an annoyed noise. "You doofus! That's one of the girls you're into! Be nice!"

Bakugo went pink. "Says who?"

"Says your chart, lover boy!"

"Oh, right." Bakugo scratched his head. "Well... I mean, she's great, but she didn't even say hi to me."

Now Toru made a sympathetic noise and, judging by how Bakugo's hair moved, Toru just gave him a fond head pat. "You'll get your chance someday, Katsuki."

Midoriya could have sworn a 100-watt bulb just came on over his head. He grinned. "What if that day were tomorrow, Kacchan?"

Bakugo blinked, looking even dumber than usual. "Huh?"

Midoriya motioned to where Setsuna had been standing. "Come with me to lunch tomorrow. Let's make it a surprise. Wear something cool."

Bakugo nodded. "Steve Harvey strikes again."

Midoriya scowled. "I don't want that nickname to stick. I can't grow that kind of mustache."

"Not yet, anyway." Bakugo clapped a hand on Midoriya's back just as the bell rang for classes to resume. He got up, gave Toru another suspicious look, and walked away to clear off his lunch tray.

Toru giggled yet again. "My list is gonna get pretty long at this rate."

"Thank goodness we have your database to keep things straight," Midoriya said lightly as he collected his tray and threw away his trash. He gave Toru a cunning look. "And what about _you_?"

Toru took a step back. "Uh, wh-what?"

"You know what I'm getting at, missy."

Toru was silent for a few seconds, and Midoriya was sure that she was going red. "I-I have to use the bathroom! See you!" she raced off.

Midoriya, meanwhile, spotted Ochaco happening by, and he caught up to her. "Ochaco. Hey."

Ochaco smiled. "Hi, Deku. We gotta hurry. Class will start soon."

"Right." Midoriya walked with her to the exit. "Guess what? Class 1-B invited me to a thank-you lunch tomorrow for helping Yosetsu his magic tricks, and I'm bringing Kacchan with me. But I think they should have invited you, too."

"Don't worry. It's okay." Ochaco tossed her hair. "A few friends invited me over for some girl time at Mina's house. I'll be busy anyway."

"Oh yeah? Who?"

"Momo, Mina, Mei, and Toga. Yes, her too. She's actually very nice, now that she's not harassing you!"

Midoriya chuckled. "Thank goodness she and I are just friends now."

"Well, I like her pretty well. Aside from her habit of telling really gross jokes," Ochaco said as they both took their seats in Modern Literature class. "That girl has quite a tongue."

"You're telling me..."

*o*o*o*o*

"Huh? Is that the Bakugo boy?"

Setsuna looked confused when Midoriya and Bakugo stepped off the bus and joined her at the front doors of the town's only Greek restaurant, Olive Sunrise.

"Oh yeah. This is my friend, Katsuki Bakugo." Midoriya grinned. "I brought him as a surprise."

Setsuna looked a bit suspicious. "All right."

"How are you doin'?" Bakugo gave her a cheery wave that Setsuna reluctantly returned.

Midoriya glanced around. "Is everyone else on their way?"

Setsuna glanced around. "They... had to cancel on me," she said. "But I'd love to treat you to lunch, Midoriya. Come in. I like this place."

The three of them stepped inside and took their seats at a booth, and Midoriya settled right in. "This place is really nice," he said brightly. "I never thought to come here before. Kind of a shame."

Setsuna, who had just removed her jacket to reveal her charming sleeveless blouse, looked bashful. "Y-yeah," she said, going a bit pink. "I usually come here with my mom and dad, but today it's just us, Izuku."

She didn't so much as glance at Bakugo. Whoa, that was cold.

Midoriya smiled after they placed their orders. "I have to say, Setsuna, it's starting to feel like classes 1-A and 1-B are really getting along. It's the spirit of cooperation!"

"Y-yeah," Setsuna said, looking even more bashful as she glanced away, barely hiding a smile.

Midoriya frowned slightly. "Are you all right?"

Setsuna jumped. "Oh, it's nothing. I just don't usually go out with friends like this."

"Sure you do," Bakugo piped up, slouched in his seat like he owned the place, an arm draped over the table. "I see you hangin' out with your girlfriends all the time after school."

"That's different," Setsuna said quickly. "I... okay, I meant to say that I usually go out with them, and _this_ is the first time I went out with a boy."

Midoriya opened his mouth to correct her about the very basic numbers involved when he realized Setsuna's game. _Oh, no WAY! She really went there?_

The food arrived (impressive service), and Midoriya toyed with his Mediterranean salad. "So, Setsuna, how did you like class 1-A's festival exhibit? Did it give you any _ideas_?"

Setsuna beamed as Bakugo fumed silently. "It was so cute. I loved your scary maid cafe."

"Yeah. At some point it turned into a _couple's_ cafe. Did you see that?"

"Mmmmmm... sorry, I was working the funnel cake machine at the time." Setsuna gave him a flirty smile as she also toyed with her lunch.

"Ochaco and I didn't like the fuss, though," Midoriya added. "We decided to hang out on the other side of the school, where it was nice and quiet. Just the two of us."

Setsuna took a bite and made a radiant expression. "Mmmmmmm. This is really good, Izuku. Try it." She offered a piece of roasted lamb meat on her fork.

"I'm allergic," Midoriya blurted out.

"You are? There's bits of lamb in your salad..."

Midoriya covered his offending salad with his cloth napkin and cleared his throat. "Let Kacchan try it. He loves this stuff."

Setsuna glanced at the other boy. "Never mind." She took the bite, then gestured with her empty fork. "For what it's worth, Izuku, I'm sorry about you and that Uraraka girl."

She didn't look terribly sorry, though. Was that an excited gleam in her eye?

Midoriya automatically shared a suspicious look with Bakugo. "Whatever do you mean?"

"Well..." Setsuna took a sip of water. "I mean, she's such a nice girl, and we all like her. But I suppose some thing are not meant to be. It's not your fault, Izuku. I'm sure you'll move right on."

Now Midoriya was actually biting his tongue to keep silent as he formulated what was going on. So, there was another element to this! He was starting to piece it together. "Someone like who?"

"Huh?"

Midoriya motioned with his fork like Setsuna had done. "Moving on... if not Ochaco, who might it be? Got any single friends?"

"Oh! Well..." Setsuna blushed and put a hand over her mouth. "Th-there might be a few girls in my class... just this one, in fact..."

"Damn, Izuku, you're popular as ever," Bakugo said. "Setsuna's got a single friend all lined up for you."

Midoriya tried not to roll his eyes as he got out his cell phone and texted Bakugo. "Sorry, texting my mom," he lied. He typed his text to Bakugo: _Kacchan, she means herself! Someone told her that Ochaco and I broke up and she's going after me._

A few seconds later, Bakugo's own phone chimed and he nearly dropped it as he hastened to check the screen. "Got an e-mail," he lied. "This new taiyaki place just opened up in the next town. I got a coupon."

"Really? I've always wanted to take a trip," Setsuna said warmly. "Izuku, when the weather's better, maybe we could go somewhere fun. Just you and me."

 _She's going for the home run. I gotta handle this right._ Midoriya cleared his throat again. "Wouldn't that be just the two of us?" He had to test her, make 100% sure she was serious...

Setsuna blushed even deeper and held her face in her hands. "Just the two of us, Izuku. Can you picture it? I can."

Now Midoriya typed another text. "Sorry, texting my grandpa," he lied. "This will take just a second..."

Bakugo got the text and checked his phone. "I... got a coupon for this new coffee shop in that town the other way," he lied. "I got two coupons."

Then Bakugo wormed his way out of the booth. "Sorry. Bathroom break." He took off.

Sure enough, the minute Bakugo was gone, Setsuna leaned forward, an earnest look on her face. "Izuku," she said. "I'm sorry. I lied about the group lunch." She went cherry-red as she made an embarrassed smile. "This is a date. I was so nervous, I asked you out under false pretenses. Forgive me?"

Midoriya nodded. "Oh, I figured that out."

"You did? You're a smart cookie." Setsuna giggled. "But how come you brought that Baku-whatever boy with you? I just wanted it to be the two of us..." She traced her finger in flirty circles on the white tablecloth.

"I brought him to test how serious you were about this."

Setsuna looked hurt. "Are you toying with my feelings?"

Midoriya glanced at the men's bathroom door. No doubt Bakugo would give him plenty of time, but maybe it would be best to wrap this up. "Setsuna, are you into me?"

"Well..." Setsuna giggled again. "You shouldn't ask a lady such things, Izuku."

Midoriya made a pained face. "I think I see what's going on. You were lied to, so you felt enabled enough to set up a date. I'm sorry, Setsuna, but this isn't right for either of us. You're being used."

Setsuna looked thunderstruck. " _What?_ I-it's not a trick, I swear!"

Midoriya made sure he used a gentle tone. Poor Setsuna was a victim in all this, after all. "I mean it: someone lied to you. Ochaco and I didn't break up."

Setsuna's jaw dropped. "You didn't? But I heard all about it for the last week! You're just friends with her now, aren't you? I mean, I've never even seen you kiss her!"

Now Midoriya was the one to go red. "We're taking it our own pace," he said evasively. "But we're serious about each other. Maybe one of her enemies lied so you'd date me, and Ochaco would hear about it and get so mad she's break up with me for real."

Setsuna's eyes widened. She covered her mouth again. "Could that be true? It would fit..."

"Who told you we broke up?"

"Several people. Um... Neito mentioned it, and Kiniko was talking about it a few days ago in chemistry class, and even Reiko said something about it. And all the girls in class 1-C were talking about it, too. They thought it was funny."

Midoriya frowned. "Class 1-C? Why..." He pounded a fist on the table. "I know just who did this. I'm sorry, Setsuna, but I've gotta go and set things straight."

"But..."

Midoriya stood, put two 1,000-yen bills on the table, and zipped up his jacket. "Next weekend, I'll treat you to lunch to make up for this. But I'm telling you: someone started a false rumor to trick you into going out with me."

"Who?"

Midoriya tried to look tough. It might have even worked. "If I do things right, it won't matter who. I'll see you around."

He turned on his heel and stalked out of the restaurant, texting Bakugo as he went. Right away, Bakugo emerged from the men's room and jogged to catch up to Midoriya at the bus stop.

"What happened?" Bakugo demanded. "How come Setsuna thought you broke up with the Uraraka girl?"

Midoriya checked the street to see if the bus was coming. Couldn't that darn thing get here already? "Someone lied to Setsuna about Ochaco and me. They wanted to trick Setsuna into dating me to make Ochaco jealous."

Bakugo made a thunderstruck face just like Setsuna's. "What the hell? Who?"

"Believe me, I'll need you as my backup for this."

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya finally got off the bus in Mina's neighborhood, and he and Bakugo didn't stop until they marched right up to the front door and pounded the doorbell.

"I feel like a thug collecting his debt from some punk," Bakugo said brightly as they stood on the porch, scowling with their hands in their pockets.

"Believe me, Kacchan, I'd rather be the guy who owes cash to a Yakuza thug than do this."

"You've got a hell of a life, you know that, kid?"  
Midoriya hung his head. "Yeah. And don't call me 'kid.'"

Soon enough, the door opened and there was Mina, looking a bit breathless. "Oh! Izuku! Katsuki! What's going on?"

Midoriya braced himself. "Can we see Ochaco and Himiko?"

Mina made a sly smile. "Why? Are you mad we were talking smack about all the boys in the class?"

"Please?"

"Okaaayyyy..." Mina looked over her shoulder and roared Ochaco's and Himiko's names. Both girls showed up, also looking out of breath.

"What the hell are you all doing in there?" Bakugo demanded. "Indoor soccer? Take it from me, the fun isn't worth having your mom ground you."

Ochaco wiped her brow. "Himiko _insisted_ that we play Twister."

Himiko made a hungry look. "And _I_ insisted that we play it topless."

Ochaco scowled. "And _I_ insisted that I'd rather jump off a bridge!"

Midoriya dropped to the porch and bowed deeply to Ochaco. "I'm sorry!" he cried. "I allowed another girl to trick me into dating her! But I promise I cut things off!"

"What the..." Ochaco stared blankly. "What girl?"

"Setsuna Tokage of class 1-B! Please forgive me!"

Ochaco motioned. "It's okay, Izuku! You don't have to bow to me."

Midoriya staggered to his feet and glared at a giggling Himiko Toga. "It was you, right? You spread that false rumor for a week so Setsuna would date me! Why would you upset Ochaco like that?!"

Toga cracked a wide smile. "I never wanted to upset my dear Ochaco. Just look at her!" She turned and pinched both of Ochaco's cheeks. "She's an angel to me!"

"Th-this hurts," Ochaco complained.

Mina looked shocked. "When I heard that rumor, I didn't know what the heck to think," she admitted. "So it's definitely not true?"  
"Nope, it's not!" Ochaco said as Toga kept playing with her cheeks.

"Then why?" Midoriya demanded.

Toga finally let go of Ochaco's poor cheeks to put up two peace signs. "To test your loyalty, dummy," she explained. "And you passed!"

Midoriya dropped to his knees in numb shock. "That was a _test_?"

"Sure was! The fact that you bowed and scraped to your loyal girlfriend is all the proof I need!"

"But... why go so far?" Midoriya's brain was going numb, too.

"You and Ochaco were going kinda slow. So I sped things up! You'll both really appreciate each other now!" Toga winked.

Midoriya once again staggered to his feet. "You're the worst, Toga."

Toga giggled as Bakugo slapped a hand over his face. "You can thank me now, Izuku darling," Toga teased him.

"No way."

"Yes way!" Toga sprang, and Midoriya yelped in pain when Toga pinned him to the porch and twisted his arms in funny ways.

"G-get off!" Midoriya wheezed.

Toga kept applying pressure. "Say thank you!"

"Never!"

"Do it!"

"I'm dying!"

Toga merely giggled again and bent his arm at another angle. Then she yelped in shock as she started floating up into the air!

Ochaco dusted her hands. "My quirk has its uses," she commented.

Mina grabbed Toga's ankle and held her there like a human balloon. "This girl..." She shook her head.

"This isn't over, Deku darling!" balloon-Toga said cheerily. "You and my angel Ochaco need to make it official already! I'm waiting!"

Ochaco met Midoriya's eyes and went red. She glanced away. "I-I'm fine," she said bashfully. "Um..."

"Just take her here and now, Deku," Toga egged him on. "Come on! There's room on the couch to get steamy. Second base minimum!"

Ochaco touched Toga again to restore her gravity, then promptly punted Toga across the lawn. Toga skidded to a halt in a pile, still giggling.

"Th-this isn't over," Toga said into the ground.

Mina rolled her eyes. "Okay, I guess everyone should go home. I'll tell the others."

"No. Invite the boys to play Twister with us," Toga mumbled. "Make _them_ play it shirtless!"

This time it was Mina who booted Toga all the way to her house.

Bakugo, meanwhile, had a hand clamped over his mouth to hide his laughter. "I couldn't make this crap up if I tried," he choked out. "I'm tellin' everyone at school about this. Kirishima and Mineta are gonna lose their minds!"

"Kacchan!" Midoriya cried. "This is enough of a disaster already."

Bakugo thumped a hand on Midoriya's back. "Which is why it makes for a terrific story."

Midoriya groaned. "Let's get outta here, Kacchan. See you girls at school tomorrow..." He wearily waved good-bye to them and shuffled off to his own house in the neighborhood next to this one. He heard Bakugo set off in the opposite direction, toward his own house.

Toga was a league of her own, wasn't she...

*o*o*o*o*

 **A/N:** Starkittyunicorn, I might give you a little Toga/Stain action, but only G-rated. Maybe next chapter.


	23. Chapter 23

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 23: Spread the Love Around (if that's what you want to call it)**

Midoriya thought that he'd seen the last of Himiko Toga, but Monday after school, just as he was making his way across the front grounds, he heard a familiar voice cry his name.

Dammit. Just when he had no backup!

"Deku darling! _Darling_!"

"I swear," Midoriya groaned as he turned to face Toga. "If you keep calling me your 'darling' in that cunning tone, you're gonna grow horns out of your forehead or something."

Toga giggled, blushing like usual. "Good afternoon to you, too. Doing well?"

"I. uh..." Midoriya noted that Toga had something clasped behind her back, and she had that old look in her eyes. Midoriya scowled. "Did you lure away Kacchan and Ochaco under false pretenses to ambush me?"

"Yeah. They think Ms. Kayama wants to discuss an extra credit art project with them."

"And what is Ms. Kayama really doing?"

"Ogling at Mr. Aizawa's fine body? I dunno." Toga giggled again. "Anyway, darling... I'm _sooooo_ sorry about yesterday, tricking you and all. I was naughty."

"Isn't that your default setting? I should have you sent back to the manufacturer with a complaint." Midoriya's mind was racing, trying to formulate a way to escape this nonsense. But nothing solid was coming to mind.

Toga took a careful step back. "How'd you like to have a little fun with me?"

Midoriya groaned again. "Does it involve a leather body suit, handcuffs, and body oil?"

"No, that's next week. Just kidding!" Toga added when Midoriya made a terrified yelp. "Actually... I feel kinda bad about messing with you and Setsuna like that. So let's balance things out."

"What, should I set you up with a boy who's got a girlfriend?"

"No... better! We can do it together to other people!"

Midoriya took an automatic step back. "You can't lure me to the dark side, Darth Himiko. Nice try."

Toga took another step back for some reason. Her smile widened. "You'll change your mind when you see _this_!"

She showed him what was behind her back: Midoriya's rough sketch of a love poem for Ochaco!

Midoriya stifled a gasp. "How'd you get that? What the hell!"

Toga shrugged. "Swiped it from your backpack when Katsuki was showing you that gross picture on his phone in gym class. If you want it back, have a little platonic date with me."

"You're nuts! And that's by _your_ standards!"

Toga giggled again as she motioned with the paper. "Imagine if I were to show this to the lovely Uraraka maiden with some X-rated additions in your handwriting."

"You devil!"

"Says the cutie boy who was a little oni butler on Halloween."

Midoriya stomped a foot. "I thought you wanted to be _friends_!"

"Call it taking initiative. Are you in?"

Midoriya took a deep breath and counted to ten. His school didn't have enough counseling services for this... "What's the date?"

"You didn't like being tricked. So, you'll get the satisfaction of watching me trick others instead! You can help me brainstorm ideas and watch the results."

Midoriya stared. "You want me to prank other people? That's kinda mean."

"We can start with the people you don't like."

Neito Monoma came to mind at once. Midoriya saw a ray of hope. "How about just one."

Toga pouted. "If you get to pick one, I can, too!"

"Don't make it Ochaco or Kacchan!"

"Fine, I won't..."

Midoriya wasn't thrilled about the idea... but then again, he didn't want Ochaco to see that poem early, and heck, he wouldn't mind the thought of seeing Neito get messed with a little. So, Midoriya motioned for Toga to join him under a tree at a remote corner of the front grounds to discuss the plan. "How's this gonna work, anyway?"

Toga made a devilish smile. "Do you know what my quirk is, darling?"

Midoriya blinked. "Hmmmmm... as a matter of fact, I don't. Quirk use is discouraged at school, anyway."

"You poor boy." Toga made a sympathetic noise and caressed his cheek. "My little darling doesn't even have a quirk -"  
"I'm fine with that, by the way."

Toga lowered her hand and jumped up and down with sheer excitement. "My quirk is super cool, Izuku darling. Ready?"

"Whoa." Midoriya threw up his arms to shield his face. "This better not involve fire. Kacchan and Shoto are enough for me."

"Nope. Check _this_ out." Toga closed her eyes in concentration.

 _Blorp._ A layer of grayish mud seeped up from her skin from head to toe.

"Whoa! Blob monster!" Midoriya yelped, then clamped his hands over his mouth. He didn't want any teachers seeing this.

And just as fast, the gray mud soaked back into Toga's skin.

She looked like Ochaco!

Ochaco-Toga tilted her head and beamed. "Is this what you wanted, Deku? The apple of your eye, Ochaco Uraraka?" She threw up two peace signs.

Midoriya's jaw hit the ground and his eyes bugged out of his head. "Y-you're Ochaco! _How_?"

The false Ochaco tossed her hair playfully. "My quirk is transform," she explained. "If I ingest someone's blood, I can morph into them, minus their quirk. Fun, isn't it?"

Midoriya nodded. "Fascinating. Transfor -"

He nearly choked. "You have to drink their _blood_?! When did you... if you hurt Ochaco somehow...!"

"No, no! It's okay!" False Ochaco motioned with her hands, a placating look on her face. Damn, it was scary how much she was like the real one! "I once snuck into the nurse's office on that day we all had those blood tests done. I drank a teensy bit from lots of different people's samples, just in case. And no, I didn't contaminate anything. I was careful, I swear."

Midoriya didn't know whether to call the police or Ripley's Believe It or Not. "So you can skip around the school looking like other people? At will?" He felt faint.

"Sometimes, yeah. But I save it for special occasions." The mud fell off, and Toga was back to her usual self. "Do you have any requests? But if I do boys, I'll have to change clothes first."

"N-no, that's okay."

"Ohhhh. Are you sure?" The mud emerged, and this time, Midoriya was facing an imposter Mina Ashido. Mina-Toga smoothed her skirt. "I can do lots of people. Even the staff! Maybe I should find that Denki boy and have some fun with him like this. He's so cute."

"Please don't! Denki's dumb, but he doesn't deserve this." Then Midoriya winced. Did he just insult everyone involved? He should apologize to Denki later. Or buy him some motchi.

"You know," the false Mina said coyly, "this is a chance for you to check out what your classmates look like under their uniforms. This Ashido girl is _foxy_. Come look." She turned 90 degrees and seductively started to lift her skirt.

"Yow!" Midoriya's hands flew to his eyes and he covered them. "Denki would kill me!"

"Come on. Look."

"No!"

"I'm naked right now."

"I doubt it."

"Fine..."

But when Midoriya lowered his hands at last, he was facing Tsuyu Asui.

False Tsuyu blinked her big eyes. "Ribbit. That's how she says it, right? Funny frog girl?"

"Leave her out of this, darn you."

Tsuyu-Toga's hands went to some pretty R-rated places. "How'd you like to see _her_ naked instead? See what's frog and what's human?"

"I'll end you!"

"Ohhhhh..." Tsuyu shed a layer of gray ooze, and finally, Toga was back to her own self. She beamed. "So, I'll call you later tonight and we can plan our form of attack, darling."

Midoriya hung his head. "I can't believe I got roped into this."

Toga patted his back. "I promise I'll give the poem back if you help me. Fair's fair."

"That coming from _you_."

Toga leaned in and seductively whispered in his ear. "It's a lover's promise."

"A what?"

Toga giggled right into his ear. "I'm still crazy in love with you, Izuku. But I also respect your feelings too much to ruin things with the Uraraka girl. I'll leave her out of this, and you'll get your poem back."

"I'm gonna get a heart attack at this rate."

This time, Toga patted a hand over Midoriya's heart. "I won't let anything happen to you, darling. Promise."

"I'll get you one day for this."

"If you try, I'll show you what Katsuki Bakugo looks like in a girl's uniform. Keep in mind my clothes don't change when I transform..."

Midoriya suddenly had to fight that image out of his mind. The horror! "I... I'll look forward to your call," he croaked.

"Mmmmmmm. Indeed. Every high school girl savors calling a nice boy on the phone. See you..." Toga traced a finger down Midoriya's chest, then skipped off to the school's front gates, not a care in the world.

It wasn't too late for Midoriya to just find the nearest toilet and flush his phone down there. But the poem...!

That Toga girl is invincible!

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya's only consolation about this psychotic operation was that 1) he had a chance to get back at the few people he didn't like, and 2) Toga liked him enough to keep her promise about returning the love poem. But then again... Toga convinced him to be vengeful against others. What would his mom think? Better not do anything like this again.

Was it bad that he also kinda looked forward to it?

At lunch on Tuesday, as planned, Midoriya sat with Toga at a corner table, and they barely even touched their lunches. Instead, they watched Neito Monoma have his lunch with some of the other class 1-B students.

Midoriya cleared his throat. "When do we strike?"

Toga put up a peace sign. "When I get rid of Itsuka. Watch. I arranged something ahead of time..."

That Himiko Toga was like a chess master, Midoriya thought, watching as one of the class 1-B girls brought Itsuka with her to the bathroom. Did Toga have a move planned ahead for everything? Better not get on her bad side again, or who knows?

"Okay, Itsuka's out of sight," Toga told Midoriya covertly. She got to her feet with a wicked grin on her face. "Now let's do this."

She wandered out of the cafeteria too, and two minutes later, what looked like Itsuka Kendo stepped back into the room. But Itsuka caught Midoriya's eyes and put up the peace sign with a vicious facial expression, clearly marking her as the impostor. So far, so good.

This was the time. Midoriya picked up his tray and moved to a table close enough to hear Neito's conversation.

"That was quick," Neito commented to the false Itsuka, who sat next to him.

Itsuka stared at him for a second. Then she burst into tears.

"Whoa, whoa! Itsuka?" Neito leaped to his feet in shock, clutching his face. "What are you doing?"

"I-I can't take it anymore, Neito!" the false Itsuka wailed. "I can't keep doing these 'favors' for you! It's so humiliating!"

Neito's jaw dropped. "Huh? What favors?"

"H-he takes advantage of me when I study at his place," the false Itsuka sobbed. "I'm your class rep, and I let this happen! I'm so sorry, everyone!"

Yosetsu Awase bolted to his feet, glaring daggers at Neito. "What the hell, man? What's going on behind closed doors?" He jabbed an accusing finger at the other boy.

Neito threw up his arms defensively. "You've got it all wrong, Awase! I dunno what she's talking about."

"O-of course he denies it," the false Itsuka choked out. She wiped her cheeks as more people stopped talking to listen and stare. "I-I can't talk about it... I have to save what's left of my dignity. But I can't hold back the tears! Last night was one time too many!"

More and more students were gathering at the scene, some confused, others looking ready to tear Neito into pieces.

"There there, it's okay," Kinoko Komori said gently, taking hold of the impostor Itsuka's shoulders. "We're all here for you."

Toga-Itsuka sniffed, then stood and lifted her chin. "I-I won't let this control me. From now on, I'm acting like nothing happened! I have to be strong as your class representative! But never be fooled. Neito has hurt me, and he's not to be trusted."

Some of the assembled students clapped, and Midoriya hunched low to avoid detection. Toga did her stuff, all right. But now there was no way to tell that this was all a fabrication! And now no one would trust Neito again! It seemed like class 1-B trusted people like Yosetsu and Itsuka way more than Neito.

"I-I have to go wash up," the false Itsuka said, making for the bathroom. She tossed her ponytail. "I'll be right back. No more tears." She stalked out of the cafeteria.

Midoriya tried to make himself as invisible as possible in case anyone tried paying any attention to him. Luckily, the crowd was dispersing, and a few minutes later, Toga casually trotted into the cafeteria and took a seat with Midoriya, a look of triumph on her face. A minute later, the real Itsuka wandered back into the cafeteria. Nearby students patted her on the back and gave her words of encouragement.

Itsuka blinked. "What's going on here?"

"That's the spirit, class rep," Setsuna Tokage said warmly. "Act like nothing happened. Move on, like you must."

"Uh, what?"

"That's the way, Itsuka," Yosetsu added with a thumbs-up. "Slate wiped clean."

Itsuka frowned. "This school gets weirder every day..." She settled into her lunch, and Neito made sure to relocate to another table.

Midoriya stared at Toga like she grew a second head (that wouldn't surprise him at this rate). "You... what the...?"

Toga beamed. "Seamless deceit. That's what I call it."

"Do you... do you usually mess with the boys at our school like that?"

"Hmmmm? Naw, I like to mess with girls more. There's four different second-year girls no one can stand anymore thanks to my seamless deceits."

"May I ask...?"

Toga grinned like a tiger. "Those girls harassed me after school a month back and called me an ugly broad. Now everyone thinks they have..." She went pink.

Midoriya swallowed. "Have... what?"

"Something that ensures that the boys they like will _never_ touch them without haz-mats suits on."

Midoriya slammed his head on the table. "I want out of the plan."

Toga giggled. "Why? We're just getting started."

"Toga..."

"You want your love poem back?"

Midoriya snapped upright. "Yeah."

"Then watch me soar."

"Uh-oh..."

Toga sure as heck wasn't done yet! This time, she morphed into Reiko Yanagi, and luckily, or perhaps as Toga expected, the real Reiko sat in a corner of the cafeteria alone, facing the wall.

"That Reiko girl keeps to herself," Toga said while disguised as that particular girl.

"Nothing wrong with that," Midoriya commented.

The false Reiko made an evil grin that looked horrifying on her. "I'll just have a minute or two. Watch this, darling..."

The false Reiko skipped off, and she walked up to Fumikage from behind and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Huh? Oh, hey there." Fumikage turned around in his seat to face the false Reiko. "Nice to see you."

 _I can't read his face, but it looks like Fumikage is still into her,_ Midoriya thought fondly. _I'm glad he found someone to be happy with._

Too bad that was actually Himiko Toga, chess champion.

The false Reiko blushed delicately. "Um... Fumikage..." She bit her lower lip.

"What is it?" Fumikage asked her.

The false Reiko glanced around, then bent over and whispered into Fumikage's ear. "Tonight, when we're alone, I'm gonna..." She cupped her hands around Fumikage's ear and started whispering... something. Probably XXX-rated, based on Fumikage's face!

"Wh-what the!" Fumikage nearly leaped out of his skin. "Reiko! I... I never thought..."

"Huh? What's up?" Kyoka Jiro looked up from her lunch.

The false Reiko put a finger up to her lips. "Shhhh, darling. It's private. And I'll deny it to anyone in public. Even to my dear little Fumi."

Fumikage still looked thunderstruck as the false Reiko skipped away and out of the cafeteria.

A minute later, Himiko re-entered the cafeteria from another set of doors and joined Midoriya.

"You whispered kinky stuff to him, didn't you?" Midoriya asked at once.

Toga grinned. "I promised him a good long peek at Reiko's cleavage later tonight. And that's just the appetizer." She started miming some XXX-rated stuff with her fingers.

Midoriya gawked. "How is _that_ supposed to play out?"

"Oh, I know them. Fumikage will ask her about it later, she'll deny it, and he'll back off. No harm done."

Midoriya mimed a bow. "The master indeed."

"Mmmm-hmmm! And I'm not done yet!"

"Uh-oh..."

*o*o*o*o*

As soon as class let out, Toga led Midoriya across the front grounds, and she was in the guise of Kosei Tsuburaba, one of the boys from class 1-B (complete with the boy's school uniform). Midoriya knew because the false Kosei leaned in and whispered something in his ear that the real Kosei would never dream of saying!

"Yow! That's definitely you!" Midoriya yelped. "Please tell me we're almost done?"  
"Just this last one to go," the false Kosei said, cracking his/her knuckles. "Watch me. I'm looking forward to this one..."

The impostor Kosei jogged ahead and waved an arm. "Hey! Yosetsu! Dude!"

Midoriya made sure to follow from a safe distance so he could see and hear what cam next as the school's students spread out across the front lawn.

Yosetsu stopped, hands in his pockets. "Oh. Hey, Kosei. Look, I'll return that PSP game next week. I promise. That last boss battle is kicking my arse."

"Kosei" shook his head with a devilish grin. "Don't worry about that, my man. Rumor has it you're seeing this hot chick from another school! C'mon, won't you tell your best bud a few of the hottest details?"

"That?" Yosetsu went red at once. "I'm tellin' you, Kosei, I can't talk about it. Her managers said so."

The false Kosei gently slugged Yosetsu's shoulder. "Make an exception. I'm dying here."

"Dude!" Yosetsu hastily glanced around to make sure that no one was listening in. He managed to miss Midoriya. "Those guys said that I'd be violating some serious rules if I talked about her. I can't even tell you her name, or what school she goes to."

"But why?"

"Rules, that's why! I can't help it! And there's this big blond man with glasses from her agency who even came to my house to warn me about not crossing over my private and school life. He actually said 'no crossovers.' He looked pretty serious."

The false Kosei hung his head. "After all we went through together..."

Yosetsu glanced around again, and once again missed Midoriya eavesdropping. What a dense fellow. "Well... remember when we were at the concert at you-know-where? When my girl and I had a chance, we..." He cupped his hands around the false Kosei's ears and whispered something pretty juicy, based on the imposter Kosei's face.

"But don't tell anyone!" Yosetsu added sternly. He poked the false Kosei in the belly. "Not one damn word, okay?"

"Okay. Sheesh. What a grouch."

Yosetsu's face softened. "Sorry, bud. But I'm under a lot of pressure here. I'm juggling a lot of factors to make this relationship work."

"You got it. See ya!"

The false Kosei vanished into the crowd, and re-appeared at Midoriya's side. "Ohhhhh, yeah. Now that was killer!"

Midoriya scowled. "What did he tell you?"

"This, darling..." Toga did what Yosetsu did: cup her hands around Midoriya's ear and whispered things that made Midoriya's mind automatically turn on black censor bars over the mental images. He'd definitely need counseling for this!

Toga dug a paper out of her pocket and stuffed it into Midoriya's pocket. "Here, for your trouble," she said. "You're such a good sport."

Midoriya double-checked that this was indeed his love poem for Ochaco and not a decoy. "You did all the work, really. Just promise that we won't do this again."

"Oh, don't worry, darling." It was really weird, hearing Kosei Tsuburaba say it. "I'm satisfied for now. And so are you."

Midoriya did a double-take. " _Me_?"

"Come on, darling. You act all outraged about my antics, but I can tell you had fun. I got what I wanted: proof that you have a naughty side, just like me." She poked Midoriya gently in the stomach, then turned and walked off, still in Kosei's form. "I'll be seeing you..."

Midoriya was rooted to the spot. Toga was right! Part of him really _did_ enjoy that, especially the Neito Monoma part, mean as it was!

"Izuku!"

Midoriya jumped and screeched like a banshee in sheer terror until he clamped a hand over his mouth. He whirled around, heart racing, to confront Tenya Iida.

Iida blinked. "Are you all right?"

Midoriya lowered his shaking hands. "S-sure."

"I didn't know you were such good friends with that Tsuburaba fellow, Izuku." Iida's glasses glinted. "But I must ask you not to stand in the middle of the crowd. Lots of people had to walk around you. It's disruptive." Iida looked politely concerned, not angry, and Midoriya took comfort in that.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to." Midoriya scratched the back of his head.

Iida nodded. "I am glad to hear that. Have a good evening." He clapped a hand firmly on Midoriya's shoulder and sauntered off. He didn't notice when the real Kosei came trotting along, chasing after Yosetsu.

Toga was like a shark in an ocean of minnows, wasn't she?


	24. Chapter 24

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 24: Get Ready for the Big Show (be fashionably late if you want)**

On November 20th, just when Midoriya thought that he'd get a break from all the shenanigans around here, Denki made a big announcement in homeroom. Without warning, he climbed on top of his desk and threw his arms wide.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls!" he declared. "This Wednesday at The Hell Hole downtown, Mika Jiro's band is gonna play live, and I'm proud to say that I helped set everything up! Come and see the show!"

Aizawa perked up from his nap. "Get the hell down," he snapped. Denki elected to ignore him. But Jiro didn't.

"What's your game, you dunderhead?" Jiro barked, slamming both open palms on her desk. "You ruined the big surprise. That's _my_ mom's band! I should announce it!"

Denki stuck out his tongue. "You snooze, you lose. No offense, Mr. Aizawa."

"Plenty taken," Aizawa grumbled.

Jiro bristled. "You creep. I'm playing backup guitar, but you just fix the amps. This is my show!"

"Tell that to mother dear," Denki teased her. "She gave me a pat on the back. _And_ she gave me a Snickers bar for a job well done."

Sero snorted. "This is starting to sound like a commercial."

"Well, keep your yapper zipped next time," Jiro shot back. "Techies don't announce the show. I do! You wanna fight?"

Now Mina bolted to her feet. "Just try it, little girl! Don't mess with my man!"

"Don't worry, babe, I can take on any comers," Denki said with a flourish. "I can do anything..."

"Except pass the midterms," Aizawa put in.

Denki fell of his desk in dismay and groaned on the floor. "I just wanted... a moment of glory..." He started drooling.

Mina hurried over to her boyfriend and knelt by him. "Denki, hang in there. I'm here." She cradled his head in her hands, and Denki made his usual dumb-but-happy look.

Jiro snorted. "Jeez. To think I used to have a crush on you."

Denki snapped upright. "You what?"

"Okay, now you're fighting _me_!" Mina cracked her knuckles and advanced on Jiro, until Tenya Iida sprang to his feet. He stepped between the girls, arms wide.

"No more fighting!" he cried. "We have to set an example as the premiere class of first years."

Mina made a sour face. "Fine. But I'm watching you, ear lobe girl."

"Back at you, little pinky."

Midoriya nodded to Bakugo. "Girls fighting over him. It's the dream."

"I know dudes who'd give their right arm for that," Bakugo said with a snide grin. "I shouldn't brought popcorn today."

Once Aizawa was done giving out quite a few detentions, things finally got quiet. Until a paper note arrived on Midoriya's desk.

 _What the..._ Making sure Aizawa wasn't looking, Midoriya unfolded the note, hid it behind his chemistry book, and read: _Please meet me after school today after the debate team's practice session! This is quite important! Signed, Mr. X._

Midoriya rolled his eyes. He wrote _you're the only one in our class who's on the debate team, Mr. Great Mystery!_ on the paper, then tossed it onto Iida's desk. Iida hastily read it and went pink. He caught Midoriya's eye, who nodded. It was on.

*o*o*o*o*

"That went longer than I expected," Midoriya commented when Iida finally stepped out of the debate club's classroom later that afternoon. "Any longer, and I'd have grown a wizard-length beard."

Iida winced. "I'm sorry, Midoriya, but some of our debate club members took 'debate' to mean 'trade yo mama jokes,' and I had to berate them. But now I am free. Please join me."

Midoriya blinked. "Where?"

"To my house!"

"...huh?"

Iida wasn't kidding. He patted Midoriya on the back to get him moving, and didn't stop marching along until they arrived at the Iida household. Once they stepped inside, a college-aged young man looked up from his spot on the couch.

"Tenya!" he cried. "You brought a friend? What a pleasant change."

"I don't like the implications of that," Iida muttered. "Let's go upstairs, Midoriya. Just ignore him."

"I'm Tensei Iida," the boy said with a casual smile. "Tenya's my little brother."

"Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you."

"Same. Just don't let any book fall on your head."

Midoriya didn't have a chance to ask what _that_ was about, but he soon saw it for himself. Iida escorted him into his bedroom and shut the door, and Midoriya found himself surrounded by books on ceiling-high shelves! Some of them were really crammed into place, and others were too long for the self and were precariously balanced.

Iida adjusted his glasses. "Here, we can have some privacy."

Midoriya winced. "Maybe you could donate a few of these to the library. It's a bit packed in here."

"Nonsense! Everything is in its place."

Just as the words left Iida's mouth, a bulky book slid free and landed right on his head.

Iida sighed, the open book still sitting on his head like a hat. "Perhaps you are right, Midoriya. But please never mind that. Have a seat."

"Uh... right." Midoriya sat on Iida's desk chair, vaguely wondering if someone had dared Iida to do this. Where the heck was he going with this?

Iida finally removed the book from his head and sat on the corner of his bed. He leaned forward, eyes intent. "I hare that you're the relationship wizard of our school, Midoriya. Perhaps this humble class representative could have your consultation?"

This was just like when Mirio Togata begged for help during the school festival. Midoriya hung his head. "I dunno, Iida. The last time I helped a guy, I nearly ruined his relationship with his crush."

"I see! But I'm sure that you set everything right in the end."

Midoriya blinked. "Yeah... kind of. How'd you know?"

Iida made a proud look. "I am a fine judge of character, Izuku Midoriya! An essential trait of a class representative."

"... right. So, what's the case?"

"Please observe!" Iida busted out his cell phone from his pocket, unlocked it, and thrust into Midoriya's hands.

"Whoa. What the..." Midoriya stared when he beheld one of Iida's recent text message conversations with Momo. Both of them used a lot more polite langauge and fewer GIFs than Midoriya and Bakugo used. And no crude puns at all! Was this really a text message convo?

Iida gave Midoriya an intent look. "Well! I am sure you see the problem?"

"Uh..." Midoriya scrolled through the conversation, and he narrowed his eyes. "It seems that -"

"Yes! Exactly!" Iida snapped his fingers. "You see it too. But of course, you are the Sherlock of love."

Midoriya gave him an annoyed look.

Iida motioned. "I'm sorry, Midoriya. But I am eager for help, and my brother does nothing but tease me if I ask him. He has a strong relationship with his girlfriend, but he surrenders none of his relationship secrets."

Midoriya held out the phone with the screen facing Iida. "I think I see some clingy behavior here."

Iida frowned. "Clingy? Is that slang for something?"

 _He lives in his own world sometimes..._ Midoriya cleared his throat. "It looks like Momo is kinda smothering you, and dominating the relationship. She won't let you breathe. She might be feeling insecure about all this."

Iida nodded. "Excellent deduction, Midoriya. But what could possibly upset Momo like that? She is the perfect girl!"

 _The perfect girl is in the house next door to mine,_ Midoriya thought defensively. "Well... it looks like she's trying to hit all the right notes -"

"She what?"

"Sorry. Should I not use slang?"

"I have never taken the time to study slang and other colloquialisms."

Midoriya took a second to mentally rephrase his thoughts. Funny how everyday dudes like Kirishima or Bakugo or Denki understood these things better than the brainiac Tenya Iida. "Momo seems to be acting like the ideal girlfriend," he explained carefully. "In this conversation, she sounds less like herself, and more like a stock girlfriend. Like she's imitating something from a book on relationships. _Literally_ by the book, you could say."

Midoriya scowled. "Don't tell me you don't know 'by the book.'"

Iida gave the thumbs up. "It's all right, Midoriya. I am quite familiar with the phrase." Then he hunched forward, eyeglasses glinting as he rested his elbows on his knees. "Momo is... acting like a generic, idealized girlfriend, and not herself... yes, that is an excellent analysis, Midoriya. But what does it mean?"

"Well... did you do something recently that annoyed her? She might being subtly passive-aggressive."

Iida looked shocked. "Why, no! I would never upset her! If anything, I fear that she is the one who has caused an issue. I am sure that it is benign, but something is amiss about her."

"So, she's not upset by something you said or did? If she were, I thought that maybe she was acting like someone she's not to say 'until you fix your attitude, you don't deserve the real me!' Just a hunch."

Iida looked horrified. "That's so insidious! Would someone really do that?"

Midoriya shrugged. "I knew a girl in middle school who did that to her boyfriend for three solid weeks."

Iida trembled. "Girls... are truly frightening."

"Naw, you just have to appreciate how they see the world. It's about understanding each other."

Iida perked up. "Yes! The love wizard has cast his spell of wisdom! I was right to trust this delicate case to you, Izuku Midoriya!"

"You're the one who's scary," Midoriya muttered, looking away.

"I'm sorry? Please speak up."

Midoriya resisted another eye roll. "Let's focus on the issue. Momo's being really cling - I mean, she's smothering you and strangling the relationship. She's not letting you take things at your own pace. Right?"

Iida looked downcast. "Yes, that's right. At first, I was sure that she was just eager to enter a relationship with me. But ever since, she won't listen to what I say. She simply _must_ dictate all the terms of our relationship. I feel left out."

Midoriya nodded. "Okay, we've got the issue in plain sight. Let me ask: have you confronted her about it? Have you made it clear that she's being controlling?"

Iida shook his head. "I have tried, Midoriya. But when I do, she makes me feel guilty about bringing it up. And then she will cite a few minor instances where I had a say in the relationship. She outmaneuvers me every time."

"Whoa. This might be even more serious than I thought. She's so nice in class, though. I'd never have guessed..."

"I assure you, Midoriya, that something is certainly amiss."

"In that case, I'll do a private session with her, too."

"What?" Iida looked suddenly suspicious.

"I-I mean, friendly context, like studying with her in the cafeteria, or making up a survey and asking her stuff. I tried fixing Denki and Mina's relationship like that."

"Did it work?"

"Honestly, they mostly fixed it on their own," Midoriya said brightly. "I'm proud of them. I just nudged them in the right direction."

"I see! In that case, allow me to thank you beforehand!" Iida stood and bowed deeply. "I owe you much!"

"Hang on. I didn't do anything yet."

"But I'm sure that you will!"

"The love wizard has to get to work first. I'll keep you updated."

"Thank you again!"

"... sure."

Midoriya's mind was racing when he left the house a few minutes later. Momo and Iida, huh? He could already hear Bakugo's snide tone: _"if they're so smart, how come they can't figure this out? Ha ha!"_

There was more than one kind of smart.

*o*o*o*o*

True to his word, Midoriya stayed up late concocting his plans (he put his cell phone on silent so Bakugo wouldn't disturb him with action movie GIFs and memes), and the next day, he was armed and ready. He was a big game hunter, and the prize today was Momo Yaoyorozu!

Too bad she was a pack animal.

"Could I have a moment to talk to you?" Midoriya asked Momo tentatively at lunch. No fewer than six different girls perked up and looked at him when he uttered those doomed words.

Momo made a small smile. "I'm sorry, Izuku, but I'd like to finish my lunch. Why don't you join us? There's room."

Mina made a crafty smile. "Uh-oh, Momo. Izuku's stealing you from Iida!"

Momo made a face. "Very funny."

"What's that paper?" Toru asked eagerly. "Watcha got, Izuku?"

Midoriya cleared his throat. This was already getting awkward, but he couldn't just back away now, like Denki or Mineta would. "Do you remember those surveys I did some time back?"

"Oooooh, those were funny," Itsuka Kendo commented. "What's this about?"

"Uh... my cousin's sociology class requires some outside help," Midoriya invented. "He lives in, um, Kyoto. Help a guy out?"

"This is a cover, isn't it?" Toru said. "C'mon, Deku, what's _really_ going on? Tell us!"

"You might as well," Tsuyu added. "Go ahead. Ribbit."

Midoriya felt like a dolphin in a shark tank for what he wished was the first time. He'd better make up something juicy but false to get these girls off his case. "It's for Mr. Aizawa. Don't tell anyone, but he wants to date Ms. Joke, and wants some reference. He's not ashamed to reach out, you see. Humble guy."

Midoriya was sweating buckets, and he realized that no way would anyone fall for that. Then Mina clapped her hands together with a cheer.

"I knew it! Teacher's gonna get love! We have to help him!"

"Totally!" Toru added. "I hope their first kid has Ms. Joke's eyes. She has such pretty eyes."

"If it's a boy, he'd better have his father's casually hot looks," Itsuka added fondly.

"Oooooh! Good point!" Toru realized.

 _Mr. Aizawa, you're every girl's older-guy crush._ Midoriya cleared his throat again. "Momo, tell me... what does a healthy relationship look like to you?"

Momo gave Midoriya a knowing look. "It means open communication and empathy. Too many couples have had communication issues before."

"Like Denki and me," Mina said casually. "Take it from me, girls. _Talk_ to your man, 'cause he ain't gonna."

"Second question," Midoriya plowed on, sweating even harder. "How do you communicate your needs in a relationship?"

Momo's knowing look continued. "I speak up. Izuku, I'm not sure Mr. Aizawa needs to know that sort of thing. He's thirty years old. He knows how to handle himself."

"I hope he can handle Ms. Joke when she takes her top off in the bedroom," Toru added, and the girls erupted into giggles (save Momo).

 _This isn't good. She's on to me!_ Midoriya tried not to tremble as he wrote down Momo's evasive answer. "Question three: How do you resolve disputes with a lover?"

Momo made a polite chuckle. "Izuku, I think your cousin is underestimating his subjects. Those are entry-level questions."

"Yeah. Here's a better one," Toru put in. "What should Aizawa do if Ms. Joke starts to [REDACTED] on his [REDACTED] and he tries to [REDACTED] her lovely [REDACTED] until she [SUPER REDACTED!]?"

The other girls were cherry-red. "Uh... I think I'd have to steal Neito's dirty magazine collection to answer that."

"He's got one?" Mina asked eagerly. "Did you catch him updating his stash?"

"W-well, I _assume_ he's got one," Itsuka added quickly. "I was just trying to contribute to the conversation, that's all."

"Denki had a few when we started dating," Mina said sagely, toying with her lunch.

Tsuyu looked intrigued. "What did you do with them? Ribbit."

Mina put on a lofty look. "I auctioned them off. That's how I bought _this_." She held out her wrist, showing off her fancy wrist necklace thingy. Wrist jewelry. Whatever. It sure didn't look cheap!

"You've got a flair for business," Tsuyu commented. "Color me impressed."

Mina held up her hand. "Voting time! Who thinks that Mr. Aizawa should rent a horse-drawn carriage to impress Ms. Joke with?"  
All hands went up. Even Midoriya's, reluctantly.

"And who thinks he should take her to the beach?"

The hands stayed up.

Mina glanced at Toru. "And right there, on a comfy beach towel, who thinks they should start [REDACTED] with their oiled-up [REDACTED] until Aizawa finishes [REDACTED] with her [PLUS ULTRA REDACTED!]?"

The girls were, once again, cherry-red and avoiding each other's eyes as they raised their hands even further. It sounded like Mina had gotten into her dad's XXX-rated DVD stash, if anything.

"But what about the wedding?" Toru realized. "We have to arrange that, too!"

"For sure," Tsuyu agreed. "And after that, they'll make beautiful babies one day. Ribbit."

 _Okay, this managed to become completely off topic._ Midoriya covertly collected his stuff and made a tactical retreat. Poor Iida. What was he supposed to do now?

*o*o*o*o*

It wasn't until the last school bell when Midoriya realized that he might make use of an upcoming event. Why didn't he think of this before? Hurry! Before it's too late!

"Jiro! Got a minute?"

Kyoka Jiro, luckily, was walking home alone, her school bag slung over her shoulder. She casually looked over her shoulder to find Midoriya hurrying through the crowd to meet her.

Jiro stopped. "Oh. What's up, Izuku? What's the rush?"

There was no time to waste. "Your mom... her band's playing this Wednesday, like Denki said, right?"

"Yeah." Jiro made a sour face. "That punk, stealing my big announcement! Why, I oughta -"

"Can you do me a favor?"

Jiro stared. "Huh? Like what?"

"Look... it's about Momo and Iida..."

Midoriya hurried to explain the whole situation. "... so, d'you think your mom could put on a few love songs if I get Momo and Iida to see the show?" he finished.

Jiro looked skeptical. "It's not a bad idea, but love songs? My mom's band is in its punk phase right now. I mean, their current name is The Skull Munchers."

Midoriya winced. "Do... do punk bands do love songs?"

"Maybe anti-conformist ones that stick it to the man." Jiro made a cunning grin and made a defiant gesture.

"Look, they need some help. Iida's facing a big wall, and Momo's being stubborn and evasive. I was thinking that the festive energy at the concert could loosen them up a bit."

Jiro nodded. "I like those guys, so I'll give it a try. I'll run the idea by my mom."

"You will?" Midoriya sighed with relief. "Real help is hard to come by. Thanks, Jiro."

"Don't mention it, Deku. Iida and Momo are some of the few people who don't drive me nuts." Jiro flashed him the peace sign with a friendly grin. "Let's give those kids a show."

"See you there." Midoriya headed for the front gates in high spirits, and he got one more idea. He hurried to catch up to Ochaco.

"Hey there," Ochaco said brightly. "Going home, too?"

"Yeah." Midoriya tried to look casual. "Hey, Ochaco..."

Ochaco smiled as she slowed to a casual trot. Her eyes sparkled. "What's up?"

Midoriya felt like he should have been more flustered about this. But darn it, talking to Ochaco... it felt as natural as breathing by now. He couldn't imagine his days without her. "How'd you like to come with me to see Jiro's mom's band play on Wednesday night?"

"Okay, sure. A friendly night out?"

"Well... I was thinking it could be a date. You and me."

There it was. He put it out there. He could do this!

Ochaco bit her lower lip and glanced away. Uh-oh. Was that a slight, concerned frown on her face?

"Okay, that sounds like fun," Ochaco said brightly. "Why not? A proper date!"

"You and me." Midoriya beamed.

"Yeah." Ochaco made what looked like a forced smile, and she shyly toyed with her hair. "Oh, gosh. I-I don't think I've had a boy ask me out before."

"First time, huh?"

"Yeah. I'll see you later!" Ochaco made another forced smile and hurried ahead, arms wide as she sprinted across the street toward the Uraraka house.

Midoriya, meanwhile, slowed to a dazed shuffle, his mental fireworks doused. Why did he suddenly think that Momo and Iida weren't the only ones with a problem under the surface?


	25. Chapter 25

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 25: Rock Your World (at least, we'll try!)**

The nightclub where The Skull Munchers were going to play was a bit far to walk, especially in late November, so Midoriya decided to hail a cab instead.

"I don't think I've been to that part of town before," Ochaco commented as she and Midoriya stood at the street corner, with Midoriya's arm raised.

"I've been there once or twice," Midoriya said. "It has a pretty serious nightlife scene. Jiro, Sero and Bakugo like to go there all the time." He grinned widely. "This is gonna be fun."

Ochaco returned his grin. "Are you planning something, Deku?"

"Well, don't tell anyone, but..."

It was taking forever to find a cab, so Midoriya gave Ochaco the spicy details of Momo and Iida's strained relationship. Not to mention his 50-50 odds of his plan actually working out.

"Oooooh, I see." Ochaco nodded. "Momo... it sounds like she's not very confident in herself. I knew a girl like that at my old high school. She kept driving people away."

"Yeah," Midoriya said with a nervous chuckle. "Momo's the smartest girl in our grade. But there's more than one kind of smart, you know. You have to consult the heart sometimes." He clapped a hand over his heart, over his warm jacket.

"Right. The heart." Ochaco looked away, almost timidly. "There's a lot of things I haven't seen or done yet here in town, too..."

Midoriya blinked. "What's the matter?"

"Oh, it's nothing! I'm still getting used to this town, that's all," Ochaco said with an abrupt giggle. "My old town was kinda boring compared to this. You all really live it up here."

Midoriya smiled as a cab finally approached, its headlights bright in the early evening. "It's not 'you all,' anymore, it's 'we'. You're one of us, Ochaco! One of the gang."

"Okay. Yeah. Us."

Ochaco didn't seem entirely convinced, though, and she was quiet when she and Midoriya climbed into the cab. Midoriya gave the driver the address for the nightclub, named The Hell Hole.

Midoriya saw, and _heard,_ why!

"This place is so loud!" Ochaco cried when she and Midoriya stepped in through The Hell Hole's front doors into the dimly lit interior. There was already a big crowd, and a band had just finished playing up on stage while the crowd chattered away. It wasn't Mika Jiro's band, though; these guys were scary looking! Good thing they were packing up, or they'd probably give Midoriya a noogie.

"Guys! You made it," Jiro said, throwing her arms wide and embracing Ochaco in a friendly hug. "You were about to miss the show."

"Yeah! Denki worked hard for us," Mina added. "Let's watch his show together."

Jiro let go of the flustered Ochaco and scowled at Mina. "I keep telling you, he's just the tech monkey! He fixes the amps and tunes the guitars so my mom and the others do the real work."

Mina made a typical pouting face. "That's no way to treat a rock star."

Jiro gave Mina a gentle shove. "One of these days, honey."

"I like the ambiance here," Fumikage Tokoyami put in, apparently uninterested in the Denki rock star debate. "I could live here."

"No kidding," Midoriya said faintly, taking in the scary fake candles on the walls, the gruesome heavy metal posters, and the even scarier bartender.

"Yes, the ambiance certainly fits the name," Tenya Iida added, joining the group as he adjusted his glasses. "But I must say that I do not approve of this theme. I am here only to support your family and my classmates, Kyoka Jiro!"

Jiro gave him a gentle shove. "Will you guys relax? This place is fantastic. And where's Momo? Got separated from your girlfriend already?"  
"No, we are fine," Iida assured her. "In fact, she is having a lovely conversation with the bandmates right now. They have taken a great liking to her."

Jiro looked skeptical. "Huh? They're busy. What is she -"

"My girlfriend has met a few rock stars before," Iida said proudly. "When Metallica visited Japan during a recent tour, she was one of the few people to get a back-stage pass!"

Even Tokoyami looked shocked. "That girl's full of surprises," he commented.

Now Jiro looked outraged. "Even I never got anything like that!"

"Oh. It seems the show is about to start," Midoriya said, pointing at the stage. Jiro's mom and the rest of The Skull Munchers were assembling now and getting everything set up.

"Pretty great, huh?" a new voice said.

Midoriya realized that Denki had been standing behind him this whole time. "Denki?"

"I wanna watch from the audience," Denki said as Mina wrapped her arms around her boyfriend. "It's a better angle."

"You're the techie! You have to stay back stage and help!" Jiro snapped. "I swear, no one around here understands the rock star life..."

"I'll be fine," Denki told her. "How are you doin', guys?"

No one got a chance to answer, though. Mika Jiro and her bandmates were done setting up, and now Mika took hold of the mic. "You devils ready to rock?" she said in a tough voice, and everyone cheered and put up devil horns.

"I must find Momo. Excuse me." Iida bowed good-bye and hurried off to find his girlfriend just as the music was starting.

And sure enough, Mika was taking Midoriya's advice... kind of. Jiro had talked her mom into doing some love songs, but it didn't sound right, coming from a punk band like this one! Some of the older members of the crowd stared in disbelief, and others were trying not to laugh.

"Not what I expected, really," Fumikage said, hands in his jeans pockets. "I think I recognize this song. Sounds weird as punk."

"Well, uh... Midoriya made a request," Jiro admitted.

Denki and Fumikage rounded on Midoriya. "What the hell, man?" Denki demanded. "This isn't what I tuned the amps for!"

"It's disorienting," Fumikage added.

Midoriya sighed. He'd have to start over... "Look, Iida and Momo are having relationship issues. I hoped that these love songs would get them in the mood to make out and get along better."

"I'm not sure it's working," Ochaco commented. She jumped to look over the crowed. "They don't look happy."

"Huh? Let me see." Midoriya also jumped to look, and he saw Iida and Momo standing close to the stage, definitely not in the mood to make out. Or even make _up_ with each other.

"I'm pulling the plug on this. Sorry, Deku." Jiro raised her arms and made a gesture. Sure enough, her mom saw it and smoothly transitioned this awkward love song into a proper punk song.

The crowd really appreciated _that_!

"Ah, that's better," Fumikage said, using the same tone one would use when climbing into a nice bath. A bath for the ears, maybe.

Denki nodded. "Way better."

Then the amp started glitching.

Jiro gave Denki a sharp look. "See? You gotta be up there to help! Hurry!"

"See ya later, babe." Denki hastily kissed his girlfriend, then scampered through the crowd to fix the problem. He managed to trip over someone's foot and nearly knocked the beer from some tough guy's hands.

Jiro slapped a hand over her face. "This is the last time I invite anyone to a Skull Munchers show. No offense."

Ochaco caught Midoriya's eye. "Oh, I'm having a great time. Don't worry."

Jiro didn't look convinced.

Neither did Momo, when she stormed through the crowd, past Midoriya's group, and out The Hell Hole's front doors.

Jiro stared. "Princess is havin' a bad night, I see."

"Should we help her?" Ochaco asked. She took a step toward the door.

"Hang on." Midoriya took hold of her hand. As expected, Tenya Iida also burst through the crowd, looking tense as he marched right after Momo. He threw the doors open and went in the same direction Momo had gone.

"Okay. Now." Midoriya tilted his head in the door's direction, and he and Ochaco covertly slipped through the doors.

And sure enough, Momo was already at the street corner, trying to hail a cab just as Iida caught up with her.

"Quick. Act casual," Midoriya told Ochaco, and they pretended to have a nice chat while standing close enough to hear the conversation.

"Momo, I must insist that we talk this out," Iida said earnestly. "It's not healthy to ignore the issue."

"There's no issue!" Momo snapped back. "I don't know why you're acting so paranoid, Tenya. It's not like you." She kept gesturing for a cab, but it was a busy night, and no one was stopping for her at the moment.

"Momo..." Iida gestured like he always did. "As I've said before, our relationship does not seem healthy to me. It feels to me that you never listen to me, and that you don't value me."

Momo looked shocked, and Iida hurried to explain a little more.

"I want our relationship to work. I really like you," Iida said more gently. "But we can't go forward like this. And I don't mean to attack you. But if you won't _talk_ to me..."

Momo made a lofty look and turned away. "There's nothing to talk about, Tenya. You're imagining things." But now that she was turned away, she was making a pained expression.

Ochaco couldn't help glancing at them. "Ooooh, this can't be good," she muttered to Midoriya. "Are they about to break up?"

Iida, meanwhile, persisted. "Momo, I can't for forward like this. No... _we_ can't keep going like this. It's not right."

Momo whirled around, now with a look of horror on her face. "Are you breaking up with me?"

Ochaco winced. "Oh, no!"

"Give them a chance," Midoriya urged her. "They're smart. In all the right ways, I hope..."

Iida looked grim. "I don't want to end our relationship, Momo. But if we cannot face this issue together, I'll have no choice. This is unsustainable."

Momo looked numb as she took a few slow steps away from the curb. She had tears going down her cheeks. "Tenya, I..."

They hashed it out just like Midoriya hoped they would. All the details of their relationship, how they felt about each other... and themselves. That was the part Midoriya focused on the most.

"I've never had a serious boyfriend before," Momo sobbed at some point. "I-I just wanted to do everything right... I was so excited! Then you got so moody, and I felt awful. I didn't know _what_ was going on. I still don't!"

"Momo..." Iida gently took hold of Momo's shoulders. "You have to have faith in our relationship, and in me. It'll work out. As long as we go forward together."

"But aren't we?"

Iida shook his head. "You were suffocating me, Momo. Everything was about you and what you wanted. I was being shut out of my own relationship."

"How could you say...?"

"I know, it must hurt to hear, but I must say this," Iida said gently but firmly. He was looking Momo square in the eyes. "A healthy relationship between two people is about mutual trust and respect. But you're not showing the right respect. To yourself."

"I... what...?" Momo breathed.

"This is your first serious relationship, isn't it?"

"Yes..."

Iida made a warm smile. "Then trust yourself to be a wonderful girlfriend, Momo. The same how _I_ trust you."

Momo was speechless.

"It took me some time to realize this," Iida told her, "but if someone doesn't love and trust themselves, they will not be loved by others. Please have the good faith in yourself that you're a wonderful partner, Momo."

"Tenya..." Momo burst out crying and buried her face in Iida's chest.

Ochaco clapped her hands over her mouth. "I think they did it!"

"It's going as I expected," Midoriya added.

Ochaco giggled. "Well look at you, Mr. relationship wizard."

"No, they solved this all on their own."

Meanwhile, Momo lifted her head, a watery smile on her face. "I... I was so terrified that I would fail as your girlfriend, Tenya. I didn't know _what_ I was doing. It was no new to me, and so overwhelming! And I took it out on you."

"Yes. But I understand, and I completely forgive you." Iida had manly tears going down his cheeks as he held his girlfriend close. "As long as you trust and love yourself, everything else will come naturally."

"Tenya..."

They looked into each other's eyes, then locked lips in a moment of sheer passion! Midoriya took that to mean "Stage clear!"

Momo learned fine lesson, all right: _learn to love yourself before you can love others_. She was top of the class, but some things were still new and scary to her. Just how those things could be new and scary to anyone.

"Now, I must ask," Iida mentioned. "Would you rather we finish the concert, or perhaps spend time at your house?"

Momo took Iida's hand and led him back to The Hell Hole's front doors. "We came all the way out here, so let's support Mika Jiro's lovely band."

Iida chuckled. "You don't actually enjoy punk music, do you?"

Momo giggled. "No! It's so gauche! I'm only here to support those I love and cherish."

"The same is true of me! I shall endure it for the Jiro family's sake!" Iida declared. Momo giggled as Iida led her through the front doors.

And at the last moment, Iida looked over his shoulder and gave Midoriya a nod to say _thank you!_

The door shut.

Ochaco clutched her face in horror. "They knew we were listening in! We were so rude!"

"No no, don't worry!" Midoriya waved his hands to placate her. "Iida feels like he owes me a big debt for helping him. He won't hold it against us. I can give you a 90% guarantee on that."

Ochaco giggled. "What happens with the last 10%?"

"He'll whack us on the head with encyclopedias as punishment."

Ochaco clapped her hands over her mouth to hide her embarrassed giggling. "If we keep spying on lovers like this, I'll start to like it too much."

Midoriya felt a chill. "Yeah... good point. No one else had better come to me for relationship advice. I'm _definitely_ getting too used to this lifestyle."

Ochaco need a moment to settle down. "Anyway... we should finish the show, too. Ready?"

"Yeah."

Then Midoriya realized something. "You don't like punk either, do you?"  
Ochaco winced as she wrenched open the front doors. "I told my parents I was going to a book reading. They'd ground me for a week if they saw this place!"

"I'll keep your secret, no sweat."

"You'd better, or you're grounded with me!" Ochaco giggled and gave him a gentle shove not unlike Jiro's trademark shoves.

Then they ran right into Yosetsu Awase. Literally. The other boy stumbled back. "You lookin' for a fight? Huh?" He whirled around, a fist raised. Then he lowered it. "When the hell did you guys get here?"

"We were here from the start," Midoriya retorted. "When did _you_ get here?"

"I've been here the whole time, too," Yosetsu said. "Me, and Sen and Kosei. Didn't you see us come in?"  
"Sorry." Midoriya shook his head.

Yosetsu scowled. "Typical class 1-A jerks. You think we're beneath your notice!"

"W-we're sorry!" Ochaco cried, making an apologetic bow.

Yosetsu laughed and scratched the back of his head. "Just kidding. I just like messing with you class 1-A guys. Man, I wish my girlfriend was here with me. Kosei was really grilling me a while back about her. Like I'll tell him anything!"

 _Must have been that time Toga took his form,_ Midoriya realized. He kept that little tidbit to himself. He didn't want to reveal his role in Toga's plan and get into a fistfight for real! "Not even one little detail, Yosetsu?"

Yosetsu went red. "I-I can't, Midoriya. I swore to keep her a business. I mean, trade privacy! No, keep her a secret for trade business! I mean..."

"It's okay," Ochaco said, putting her hands on Yosetsu's shoulders. "If it's a big secret, that's okay. Everyone keeps some things to themselves."

She looked weirdly uncomfortable as she said that.

"Yeah. Thanks." Yosetsu glanced down, scratching the back of his head again. "I can tell you, though, that I really miss her. Her music group's on tour, opening for some other acts. I thought I'd come here and be less homesick, but it ain't helping that much. Her music's different from this... uh..."

Ochaco gestured at the stage. "Racket?"

Yosetsu laughed. "Yeah. Racket. No offense to Kyoka's mom, though."

"Right. See you around." Midoriya nodded to Ochaco and escorted her into the crowd's middle, where Denki had re-appeared.

"Amp's in good shape," Denki said proudly as Mina hugged his waist possessively. "Now it'll be just fine. 'Cause I'm a rock star!"

That was when the amp crapped out again.

Jiro poked Denki's chest with her earphone jack. "Better haul butt, Denki, or I'll make a living amp out of you!"  
Denki looked mortified as he once again kissed Mina good-bye and hurried to the stage. Lucky for him, he avoided tripping over any feet. Instead, he tripped over a cord on the stage and nearly knocked over the bassist.

"That kid... I wish him luck," Jiro said, rolling her eyes.

Mina pouted again.

*o*o*o*o*

The rest of the concert went... about as Midoriya expected, really, and he hailed a cab for him and Ochaco to head back home. He walked Ochaco across her house's front lawn and to the front door, lingering on the porch for a moment.

"I had a great time," Midoriya said a little awkwardly. "Jiro's mom is pretty good, isn't she?"

"Yeah. She's great." Ochaco looked preoccupied again, fidgeting on the porch. "Um... I had a nice time tonight, Izuku. Thanks for inviting me."

Midoriya beamed. "Yeah! Anytime. There's all kinds of great date spots across town."

"Dates..." Ochaco went pink, staring at the shrubs near the front porch. "Yeah..."

Midoriya couldn't help it. "Are you okay, Ochaco? Something was on your mind earlier, too."

"I'm just tired," Ochaco said quickly. "And I think I'm coming down with another cold! Ugh." She pressed her palm against her forehead. "Bit warm..."

"Let me see." Midoriya gently put a hand to Ochaco's forehead. It felt fine.

"Izuku...!" Ochaco lowered Midoriya's hand, a pained tone in her voice. "Don't."

Midoriya's face fell. "Huh?"

"I'm sorry. I gotta get to bed. Good night!" Ochaco wrenched her front door open and slipped inside. She snapped it shut behind her.

Once again, Midoriya was left standing there in stunned silence. How many times would he have a scene like this?

His hand was halfway to his cell phone to text her when he stopped himself. No. He'd just upset her more, and make... whatever this was... worse. Instead, he hopped off the Uraraka porch and didn't stop moving until he was back in his bedroom, where things were nice and quiet.

It felt too quiet now, actually.


	26. Chapter 26

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 26: Trying Out For the Team (don't ask what the score is)**

By December 10th, it was getting pretty cold outside, and the school almost closed a few times because of the snow *(but much to everyone's chagrin, principal Nezu kept the place wide open). Midoriya had other things on his mind, though. What was up with Ochaco? He respected her privacy way too much to ask (he wasn't Toru or Denki), but something was... well, weighing down on her. And that's by the anti-gravity girl's standards. It kinda hurt to know that she was upset. But he didn't want to make some big dramatic scene (he wasn't Toga or Katsuki).

Then principal Nezu dumped something on Midoriya's lap that totally reset the scene.

 _"Good morning, students! I hope you're all well,"_ the mouse-bear-cat-something principal said cheerily on the intercom during homeroom. _"The weather hasn't been the best, so I have a little treat for everyone in mind."_

"School closes early! School closes early!" Mina cried, crossing both sets of fingers. Kirishima joined her, then Toru, then Denki and Rikido Sato, drowning out whatever the heck principal Nezu said next.

Aizawa bolted to his feet and actually got out a megaphone. "CAN IT!" he roared. "OR TRIPLE DETENTION!"

Mina and the others fell mysteriously silent.

"When did he get _that_?" Bakugo wondered, eyes wide.

"When I remembered which class I teach for homeroom," Aizawa muttered into the megaphone. Then he got a feedback loop and everyone winced. Aizawa slid open the window and threw it out. "To dispose of the evidence," he muttered to himself.

 _"... so, I'm sure you all will look forward to that,"_ principal Nezu said warmly. _"I wish you all the best of luck. Have a wonderful day!"_

The intercom went off.

Momo raised her hand. "Mr. Aizawa, what did principal Nezu say? I couldn't her him over these..."

"Babbling baboons," Iida suggested with a disapproving tone, and Momo stifled a giggle.

Aizawa rolled his eyes. "Now that I have everyone's attention... somehow... we're hosting a school dance on the 23rd for Christmas. So -"

"Woo hoo! School dance!" Toru leaped onto her table and did a funny dance. "I can't wait!"

"I finally get to wear my nice new outfit," Mina said warmly, clasping her hands under her chin as her eyes sparkled. "I can't wait, either."

"I sure can," Jiro muttered.

Aizawa cleared his throat. " _So_ , Ms. Kayama will host the tryouts for the party planning committee after school today. How she decides who gets on the team is up to her."

Yuga Aoyama made a pretentious noise. "Ah, but of course she will choose me," he said loftily. "I know high fashion inside and out!"

"I certainly do, too," Momo added. "I do hope I earn a spot on the committee. I hope someone votes for me."

Bakugo reclined in his chair. "Who said anythin' about voting? Maybe we have to run an obstacle course, no quirks allowed."

Kirishima picked right up on it. "Yeah. Like navigating laser traps to steal a fake diamond!"

"Or doing trapeze!" Toru added.

"That's gymnastics," Tsuyu corrected her.

Momo went pale. "Oh, no..."

"Momo, I'm sure you'll do great," Tenya assured her. "I believe in you. Let's join the committee together."

Momo beamed. "Thanks, Tenya."

Jiro scoffed.

Meanwhile, Midoriya glanced at Ochaco, who was going over her literature notes. He felt like he wanted to say something, but what? She usually seemed happy as ever, but sometimes she got moody, too.

Ochaco seemed to notice Midoriya watching her, and she looked up with a wide smile. "I'll see you at the tryouts, Deku," she said warmly. "If we join the committee, let's do the decorations. I have an eye for these things."

"As do I," Aoyama added. Everyone ignored him.

Midoriya gave her two thumbs up. "Get your game face on, Uraraka."

"Yeah!"

*o*o*o*o*

As promised, Ms. Kayama was hosting the tryouts, and she held them in the art classroom where there was enough space for the fifty-odd students who showed up. And as unofficially promised, it was total anarchy.

"The first game is limbo," Ms. Kayama said happily, clapping her hands together. "Flexible body, flexible mind. Form a line!"

 _Well, this is just great._ Midoriya was secretly hoping that this would be decided with a vote, like Momo wanted, but nope! It was more like an obstacle course after all, judging by the board games, trivia cards, limbo rod, bean bags, and more laying around. It looked more like a pre-school in here.

"Here goes nothin'." Bakugo grinned wickedly and rubbed his hands together as he went first. He bent over backwards and slipped right under the limbo rod like a pro, even though the rod was set aggressively low.

Ms. Kayama clapped. "Very nice, Katsuki! I like men who can bend really far."

"Someone call the cops," Yosetsu Awase muttered.

Toru went next, and being a petite girl, she cleared the rod, too. Tsuyu did fine too, but Rikido Sato and Mezo Shoki bumped the limbo rod out of its supports.

"Ah well, I can't help it. I'm tall," Mezo said through one of his arm-mouths. "I'll make up for it in checkers." Indeed, several checkers games were already set up and waiting.

 _My mom should have sent me to private school,_ Deku thought as he took his turn. Ouch, this was harder than it looked! He really had to flex the old spinal cord to make it under that limbo rod, and he joined the others who had cleared it, too.

Ochaco, Fumikage, Neito Monoma, Itsuka Kendo, and others cleared the bar, while Hanta Sero, Ojiro, Koji Koda, Jurota Shishida, and Pony failed (Pony got her horns snagged on the limbo rod and Koji refused to even try).

 _I'm not very flexible,_ Koji motioned to Ms. Kayama. _I only came here because Jiro pressured me. Can I go?_

Ms. Kayama smiled. "If you like, young Koda. Have a safe trip home, okay? It's snowing pretty hard out there."

Koji nodded in thanks and excused himself from the room.

Once everyone took a turn at limbo, the losers asked Ms. Kayama for another try. After all, that rod was set pretty darn low.

"Nope. Sorry, kids!" Ms. Kayama said with a wicked grin like Bakugo's. "Yer outta here!" She jabbed her thumb at the art room's door.

"What are you, an umpire?" Sero whined. "Give us another shot!"

Ms. Kayama stroked her forearm. "Do I have to use my quirk?"

Pony looked terrified. "What is her quirk? Is it bad?"

"Why don't you find out?" Ms. Kayama tensed in concentration -

"See y'all!" Ojiro cut his losses and made for the door, probably trying to set a good example. Fortunately, the other losers joined him, along with a very reluctant-looking Sero.

Ms. Kayama relaxed. "What a shame. You all look like such sweet little angels when you're asleep..." She licked her lips.

"Someone _definitely_ call the cops," Yosetsu muttered.

"Congrats to the twenty of you," Ms. Kayama said warmly. "Now that we shrank down the pool, I can start keeping score in all these games. Get ready... for _checkers_!"

Midoriya didn't even want to know how Ms. Kayama was going to keep score across multiple games with different scoring systems, but there was no helping it. He just _had_ to make the party planning team with Ochaco, or he might as well... uh... something bad. It was time to focus on the game.

Toga sat opposite Midoriya at their checkers board and moved one of the red pieces. "We meet again, darling," she cooed. "I liked how you handled that limbo rod. Watching you bend and flex... it gave me all kinds of ideas..." She smiled and traced her finger along her lips.

Midoriya winced. "Is Ms. Kayama your crazy aunt or something?" He moved a piece.

"Mmmmmm... I wish. Ms. Kayama is so cool."

"I heard that, miss Toga," Ms. Kayama said from across the room.

Toga froze. "Uh..."

Ms. Kayama smiled. "You're such a sweet thing to say that. You get an extra point!"

Everyone groaned and muttered darkly.

Toga giggled. "Oh, I'm getting on that team for sure. It's your move..."

 _I've gotta beat her!_ Midoriya tried, but he couldn't handle Toga's wily checkers game. Even in a simple game like this, she was slippery and unpredictable. If she studied a bit more, she'd be at the top of her class for sure!

"I did it!" Toga stood and threw up her arms as she cheered. "I win!"

"Ten points for miss Toga!" Ms. Kayama declared.

Bakugo bolted to his feet. "What! You only gave me five for beating this clod! No offense," he added to his opponent.

"None taken," Iida muttered darkly.

Maybe Bakugo was a secret genius, too?

"Not bad, kids," Ms. Kayama commented once everyone finished their checkers games. "But can you handle... _trivia night_?!"

"No, 'cause it's still the afternoon," Bakugo said snidely.

Ms. Kayama pointed at him. "Minus one point!"

Bakugo scowled.

Ms. Kayama sat on the desk and crossed one leg over the other in a relaxed pose as she read from her trivia cards. "What is the tallest mountain in the world?"

"Mount Everest!" Toru cried, and she got a point.

"What is the fourth planet from the sun?"

"Mars," Fumikage said quickly.

"What is the boiling point of water?"

"100 degrees Celsius," Mirio Togata said. "Um, Ms. Kayama?"

"Yes?"

"Aren't these questions kind of easy?"

"Uh..." Ms. Kayama checked the package the cards came in, and she stifled a giggle. "Oops! I picked up the wrong pack by mistake. My sister uses them to play strip trivia with her boyfriend in the bedroom. I ought to try that if I get a boyfriend, too..."

Momo buried her face in her hands.

 _I don't know if it's worse that Ms. Kayama knows that, or that she told us,_ Midoriya thought. This was a far cry from the science bowl. Whatever happened to the good old days?

"Okay, forget the trivia." Ms. Kayama threw all the cards into the air and deigned to not pick them up. She held up a finger. "Now for arm wrestling!"

"No fair!" Toru argued. "I have the upper body strength of a newborn chick. At least, that's how Bakugo put it."

Ms. Kayama rolled up a magazine and bopped Bakugo on the head as punishment. "That's so rude! Bad boy! Bad!"

"I'm not a dog!" Bakugo snapped.

"I once saw you chase your mail carrier."

"He forgot to give me my magazine!"

More than a few people were laughing by now.

Ms. Kayama loftily brushed aside her bangs. "Okay, kids, let's move on..."

There was no end to it. Ms. Kayama subjected them to bean bag toss games, the aforementioned arm wrestling (Toru actually beat Neito Monoma and Momo, to her delight), poetry recitation, Twenty Questions games with each other, thumb wars (Toru had a serious advantage), pop culture trivia (Bakugo and Mina mopped the floor with everyone), and a few games Midoriya was convinced Ms. Kayama had invented on the fly.

"Whew. I think it's almost 6:00. Dinnertime," Ms. Kayama said, wiping her brow and checking the room's clock. By now, it was totally dark outside.

Yosetsu sighed. "I'm jealous of those guys who failed at limbo. They got to go home and live their lives."

Itsuka patted his back to comfort him.

"And now... the committee!" Ms. Kayama declared. She went right up to the dry-erase board, got a red marker, and wrote eight names (her handwriting was actually pretty bad).

IZUKU MIDORIYA

MIRIO TOGATA

HIMIKO TOGA

FUMIKAGE TOKOYAMI

TORU HAGAKURE

NEITO MONOMA

TSUYU ASUI

KATSUKI BAKUGO

"In no particular order," Ms. Kayama added. "I just wrote them as I thought of them. Of course, my darling Himiko had more points than anyone." She blew a kiss at Toga, who gratefully accepted it.

Iida slammed his head on his desk. Momo patted his back to comfort him.

Ms. Kayama pretended to dust off her hands. "Thanks for playing, everyone! Committee members, please meet with me tomorrow after school, and we'll start getting everything organized. We have a big dance party to plan!"

"I look forward to it. Ribbit," Tsuyu said politely, before Toga and Toru started cheering loudly and announcing their plans ahead of time for the dance.

Everyone else took that as the cue to get the heck out of this place, and Midoriya turned to Ochaco. "I'm sure you tried your best -"

Ochaco didn't respond. She scooped up he backpack and stormed out of the room, joining the other non-committee students.

Midoriya closed his mouth, stunned. It was one thing to be upset, but Ochaco...

*o*o*o*o*

Deku had a lot of studying to catch up on, but even after a late dinner with his mom (she burst into happy tears that he made the party planning committee), he put off his homework until he figured this thing out with Ochaco. He closed his bedroom door to block out the sound of _Family Feud_ on the TV (would he _ever_ get away from Steve Harvey?) and got out his cell phone.

Midoriya selected Ochaco's name in his contacts list, but he stared at her account, suddenly feeling weird about this. Wasn't he intruding on her privacy? He'd been leaving her alone for a while for a reason.

But Ochaco would stop at nothing to comfort Midoriya of something were wrong with him, even if it was something dreadful. He pressed CALL.

Ochaco picked up on the fourth ring. "Oh. Hi, Deku," she said simply. "How are you? Oh, let me guess: you want some help that really hard algebra homework? I can't figure it out, either. Can't help you." She chuckled.

"Y... yeah. It's a tough one," Midoriya lied. He hadn't even cracked his algebra book open yet. He wouldn't touch that thing until he got a chance to comfort his favorite girl. "Ochaco... about the party planning games..."

Ochaco made a frustrated noise. "I swear, Ms. Kayama was just choosing the eight people she thinks are most fun. It should have been Mr. Aizawa who ran things. Or even coach Yagi! At least he's fair!"

"True enough," Midoriya said. Okay, enough stalling. "Ochaco? I'm sorry to pry, but I gotta ask... is everything okay? You've been so down for the last couple of weeks. You're one of my best friends. I just want to be there for you."

Ochaco hesitated for a few seconds. "You're so sweet to ask," she said quietly. "Thanks, Izuku."

By now, Midoriya knew when there was a problem. He braced himself. "If you'd rather not tell me, that's okay. But if I can help -"

"I'm moving away on the 27th."

 _What the..._ Midoriya stood rooted to the spot, staring numbly at his crinkled _Akira_ poster over his bed. "You're... moving...?"

"I-I didn't want to tell anyone," Ochaco rushed to explain, "because I didn't want it overshadowing everything. Izuku, I didn't want everything to suddenly be about me moving out of town soon."

Midoriya felt his heart hammering in his chest. Was it from sheer adrenaline? "I shouldn't have asked. I'm sorry."

"No, it's not your fault," Ochaco told him. "My parents hoped to find more work here in town, but it's not... well, they can't find much. We're really in debt. My dad just found a good job a few towns over. We have to move as soon as we can."

"Oh. For their construction work, right?"

"Yeah. Construction." Ochaco fell silent again for a few seconds. "I'll miss you."

Midoriya's gut clenched. "I'll miss you too. It feels like yesterday I saw those moving trucks in your driveway."

"Oh, that was the day you visited with Bakugo and Denki," Ochaco said with a nervous giggle. "It was so touching that you guys couldn't wait to come and meet me. You all know how to make a girl feel special."

Midoriya couldn't describe it, but a warm, light sensation flooded his mind, and he longed to be by Ochaco's side more than anything. All he wanted to do was hold her close.

"I'm glad I met you," he said mechanically. This couldn't be real...! Ugh!

"Me, too," Ochaco said. "Deku... good luck with the party planning committee. I'll still be here for the Christmas dance. I can't wait to go."

"I'll talk to Ms. Kayama," Midoriya said hastily. "I'll... I'll wash her car, or do all her housework, or whatever to get you on that committee!"

Ochaco giggled. "It's okay, Deku. You don't have to do that. I wanted to be on that committee to be part of something big before I moved, but I'm fine. As long as you're on the team, I'm sure it'll be a wonderful evening."

Midoriya sighed. "Okay. Fair enough. I won't let you down."

"I know," Ochaco said warmly. "Okay, I need to try and finish this stupid algebra homework before midnight. I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"

"Yeah." Midoriya swallowed. "Ochaco, I -"

She had already hung up.

Midoriya stared at the phone's screen, then threw it onto his bed and sank into his desk chair in a defeated slump. Who cared about algebra?

Things were getting pretty cold around here, all right.


	27. Chapter 27

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 27: Get the Party Started (cover your ears)**

Being part of the party planning committee didn't really feel right if Ochaco wasn't there, and without Momo and Iida there either, it seemed more like one of those wild house parties Bakugo used to throw in middle school. Himiko Toga, the scheming devil? Neito Monoma, who only cared about sticking it to class 1-A? Or Fumikage, who only cared about Halloween and apples?

This was probably going to play out more like an Osakan comedy than anything. But duty called.

"That's it for today, yo," Mr. Yamada (or Present Mic) said when the final class bell rang. "Don't forget your homework! Memorize three poems, or you have to wash my car after school tomorrow! Ka-pow!" He made an action hero pose.

Everyone booed and threw their pencil cases at him.

 _"No! Have mercy on my poor soul!"_ Mr. Yamada yelped in English, cowering. Then he bolted to his feet. "Whoever can translate that sentence gets an A on their homework."

 _"You're a big blockhead,"_ Jiro shot back, and those around her got a good chuckle out of that. _"Big dumb guy. Good-bye now!"_ She stalked out of the room like a hero.

Mr. Yamada pouted. "Oh, she's totally gonna get an F... no, she's cool... D+?"

Midoriya rolled his eyes and slipped out of the class with everyone else. Might as well get the party planning meeting over with!

He was the last one there, actually.

"Oh! And this makes eight," Ms. Kayama said warmly when Midoriya shuffled into her classroom. Ms. Kayama was sitting on her desk, one leg crossed over the other. "Shut the door behind you, would you, darling? So we can keep this nice and private..." She licked her lips.

 _Everyone on staff is nuts._ Midoriya complied, then slumped into a seat next to Miro Togata. The bigger student gave him a reaussuring smile that Midoriya half-heartedly returned. Bakugo, meanwhile, gave Midoriya a thumbs-up that was also half-heartedly returned.

"Now, then..." Ms. Kayama hopped off the desk and picked up a red dry erase marker. "We've got a big job ahead of us, kids... this school dance has to be the most fabulous, sparkling, erotic, dangerous, glamorous, thrilling, seductive thing this school has ever seen!" She wrote all that in very sloppy kanji on the board.

"Erotic it is!" Toga leaped to her feet, arms up. "Everyone has to go in swimwear!"

"Oh! A beach theme!" Toru realized. "That could be fun. I went to Okinawa last year. It was so cool."

Toga traced a finger along her lips and blushed evilly. "But this time, it's a clothing optional beach... imagine all the sweaty and gyrating bodies..."

Fumikage raised his hand. "I move that I get kicked out of the party planning committee and relocated to another prefecture."

Toga kicked his seat. "Don't bail on us, pigeon head! That's not cool!"

Fumikage's quirk glowed purple around him. "Try that again, creep!"

"Oh! A thousand yen on Toga!" Toru put in eagerly, digging a bill out of her school bag.

"Me too. Fumikage can't fight worth squat," Bakugo said with a nasty grin, holding up his own bill.

"Ha. Typical class 1-A apes," Neito Monoma said with a contemptuous shrug. "Now we all see their true colors. Their reputation is just a hollow shell after all!"

"Oh, I dunno. I like their spirit," Mirio Togata said casually as Himiko and Fumikage grappled with each other and Ms. Kayama totally let it happen.

"The theme is Christmas, anyway. Ribbit," Tsuyu put in. "We can't do 'beach' or whatever. Maybe for prom?"

"Yeah! Nude beach prom!" Toga announced, currently pinning Fumikage on the floor by sitting on his back. She had his arm wrenched back at an odd angle.

"I'm... dying on the inside _and_ outside..." Fumikage wheezed.

"Admit that my idea's good, Fumi, and I'll let you go," Himiko said right into Fumikage's ear.

"N... never..."

Ms. Kayama wrote "nude prom?" onto the dry erase board with a big smile. "Okay, we'll shelve that one for later -"

"You're seriously considering it? Ouch!" Fumikage winced when Toga tugged harder on his arm.

"Himiko, give him a break," Midoriya told her. "He's shy. Don't hold it against him."

Toga sprang right off her poor victim and sat on her desk, gently swishing her legs back and forth. She giggled. "What a sissy. I don't know what Reiko sees in him."

"She loves me for me!" Fumikage yelped indignantly from his position on the floor.

"Oooooh, really?" Toga gave him a hungry look. "What base did you reach with her on your last rendezvous? Have you seen her topless yet?"

"I'll... end you..." Fumikage started to fire up his quirk again.

Ms. Kayama clapped her hands together twice. "As fun as this debate is, little Asui is right. We already have our Christmas theme. A big step now is to divide the work fairly and set up the budget."

She wrote several items on board: decorations, outreach, music, food and drinks, photographer, lighting, and tickets and sales.

"Now, as the adult in the room, _I'll_ handle the budget and management," Ms. Kayama said, suddenly acting like some high-rolling businesswoman. "You kids aren't mature enough yet to handle that."

"Hey, can we have stuffed animals with the decor?" Toru piped up. "We could have big pink teddy bears and horses and stuff."

"Ooooooh! So cute!" Ms. Kayama had big red hearts floating around her as she made a schoolgirl pose. "And lots of candy and toys, too! I can picture it now!"

"Adult indeed," Tsuyu muttered to herself.

Ms. Kayama snapped back into business mode. "Now, I need you kids to form pairs to handle all this. Who wants to do decorations? Warning: it'll be fun, but a lot of work."

Midoriya raised his hand, as did Tsuyu, Toga, and Toru (based on how she held up her pencil to mark her movement).

"Hmmmmmm..." Ms. Kayama narrowed her eyes as she considered the candidates, and Midoriya thought he heard game show music playing in the background. Ms. Kayama sure had a flair for things.

"I've got it!" Ms. Kayama snapped her fingers. "Midoriya, Asui, you're the decorations team." She wrote that on the board.

 _Just what I was hoping for,_ Midoriya thought happily. That would make his new plan easier and more fun. He needed to hurry and get home...

"Now the question of the music," Ms. Kayama said, pointing at it on the board. "I need one or two students who can craft a fun and varied mix of songs for the school dance. Most of them can be fun, but a few should be slow and serious. There's supposed to be a slow-dance phase, you see. Who's up for it?"

Almost everyone raised their hands.

Ms. Kayama gave it a minute of thought, then pointed at her two choices. "Togata, Monoma, you're the music team! Make me proud, soldiers!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Mirio looked radiant as he saluted her with a big grin. "I won't let you down."

"At least the music will be fine," Neito said, smoothing his school uniform tie. "With class 1-A in charge of decorations, we'll need good music to pick up the slack."

"You wanna go?!" Bakugo bolted to his feet, his explosion quirk sizzling on his palms.

"She didn't pick _you_ ," Neito retorted. "You're not so hot after all, Bakugo."

"That's it. I'm gonna -"

"Bakugo does the snacks with Tokoyami," Ms. Kayama added, writing their names under "food and snacks" on the board. "You kids are bound to come up with something spicy! Feel free to spike the punch a little. Or I'll do it, if you're chicken..." She made a sly look.

Miro's face fell. "That sounds dishonest."

"That's what makes it _fun_ , big boy," Toga purred. She eyed him up and down. "You know, I haven't seen you up close before. You're like a Greek god! Makes me a little hungry..."

Mirio chuckled lightly. "I'm faithful to my gym membership. A good workout is its own reward." He failed to note Toga panting over his body like a dog. What a wholesomely naive dude.

"We still need outreach," Ms. Kayama added. "The school dance needs posters and flyers, plus a social media branch. Who wants to do it?"

This time, only Toru raised her hand. "I love goofing off on the Internet," she said warmly. "Of course I'll do it! Lots of emoticons, too!"

"The more, the better!" Ms. Kayama wrote that down. "That leaves finding a photographer, lighting, and ticket sales. Can I get some volunteers?"

Several people raised their hands, but Toga stood to make her hand higher. "Let me do them all," she said. "They sound fun."

"All three?" Ms. Kayama asked cautiously. "I'm not sure I should allow that..."

Toga closed her eyes in concentration, then oozed gray slime from all over her body. A replica Shota Aizawa stood in her place, his suit looking odd under Himiko's school uniform. "I'll show what he looks like sans clothing," the false Mr. Aizawa promised.

Bakugo shielded his eyes. "What the hell!"

"Oooooh! Is that your quirk?" Toru cried.

"She still has her old clothes on over Aizawa's clothes. Ribbit," Tsuyu added. "Mr. Aizawa looks like a cross dresser."

"Oh. I keep my old clothes on even if I morph new clothes of my target," Toga-Aizawa explained. She removed her school uniform and stood proudly in Aizawa's suit, chest puffed out. "How about it, Ms. Kayama? Do me a favor?"

Ms. Kayama looked flustered. "T-Toga! Quirk use is forbidden on school grounds!"

"Please? Don't you want some of this?" The false Aizawa licked his lips.

Ms. Kayama broke into a wide smile. "You got a deal. Meet me at the parking lot when we get outta here."

Neito slammed his head on his desk. "How is this _my_ school?"  
"That's what I wonder. Ribbit," Tsuyu put in.

"Class 1-A is half the reason I wanna leave this place, frog girl."

Tsuyu made a sour face. "I tried to like you. I guess that's over. Ribbit."

Meanwhile, Ms. Kayama was clearly trying hard not to get her hands on the perfect Aizawa replica before her. "O-okay, Toga gets the rest of the work!" She was pink in the face and fanned herself as she wrote Toga's name on the board. "That concludes today's meeting, kids. We'll meet again next Monday. Have a good night!"

Midoriya tried to avoid the false Aizawa's cunning gaze as he escaped the party planning meeting and hurried down the hallway. He got he wanted. Now it was time for action! Tomorrow was Saturday, leaving the afternoon free. Perfect.

*o*o*o*o*

"Is Tsuyu here? I don't see her," Ochaco said as she and Midoriya stepped through the town mall's front doors. She pretended to shade her eyes from the sun as she scoped out the busy mall.

"She might be running a bit late," Midoriya admitted, checking his cell phone's clock. 3:12... around the time he and Tsuyu were going to meet and start looking around for decorations for the school dance. "I'll let her know we're here." He texted Tsuyu exactly that.

"Okay." Ochaco beamed and took Midoriya's hand, leading him through the mall's chattering crowds. "Deku, I want to thank you again. This is so thoughtful! I've never decorated for a party before. Let's do our best."

"We'll knock their socks off," Midoriya said with a return smile, hardly paying any attention to where he was going. Last night, when he texted Ochaco his master plan, she seemed a bit skeptical at first... then her excitement to help prepare for the school dance took over. The party planning committee had its hands full with eight people... why not make it an unofficial nine?

"I've got some ideas to start with," Midoriya told Ochaco as they took the escalator up to the second floor. Around them, plenty of people were doing their Christmas shopping, mostly young adults with big shopping bags.

"Oooooh..." Ochaco borrowed Midoriya's smart phone and looked over the stock images Midoriya had set up. "These look so pretty! Look at these!" She pointed at a photo of little fir trees strung with classy white lights. She gasped in awe at the other photos too. "Can we even afford to do this?"

Midoriya hesitated as they stepped off the escalator. "Well... Ms. Kayama set up a pretty solid budget, but we might have to play it safe. Still, I imagine that some of those ideas are doable. What do you think?"  
Ochaco smiled. "I think we'll make the whole school jealous of our party planning skills."

"Yeah, we - oh! There you are!" Midoriya waved hi to Tsuyu Asui, who just now emerged from the crowds to meet them.

Tsuyu looked exhausted. "I'm sorry I'm late. It's just..."

Ochaco made a sympathetic noise. "The cold is really hard on you, isn't it?"

"Ribbit. It sure is." Tsuyu was petite, but she looked bulky with a sweater, jacket, and parka on, not to mention thick leggings, boots, and earmuffs. She kept everything on tight even indoors.

"We don't have to do this today," Midoriya told her. "Look, it'll get a bit warmer next week. Maybe -"

"No." Tsuyu shook her head. "I'm a part of this committee, and I have to do my part. I'll brave anything to get this done. Ribbit."

Midoriya nodded. "If only everyone had your spirit."

"I suppose." Tsuyu brightened. "You both look cute together today."

"Y-yeah, I guess so!" Ochaco giggled shyly. "Thanks for agreeing to this. I know it's kinda bending the rules..."

"We need all the help we can get," Tsuyu said, motioning for them to start walking again. "I don't think Neito or Bakugo or Toga will really do much. If we get our part done early, Midoriya, we can take up the slack. Ribbit."

"Right." Midoriya cleared his throat. "Any idea where we should start?"

Tsuyu stopped before a map of the mall and traced her finger along it. "Okay. I'll go along the east wing here, and you and Ochaco can check those two stores on the west wing. We'll meet here..." She motioned to a central area. "...at 4:30 and share our ideas and figure out the budget."

Midoriya nodded. "Let's do it."

Tsuyu made a rare smile. "Do your best, guys. See you later." She shuffled off into the crowd.

Ochaco wrapped her arms around Midoriya's left arm and led him to the closest store. "She's so nice. I'll miss her."

Midoriya felt a chill. "Oh... yeah. She's always had our backs. Aizawa once said that she's mature beyond her years."

"She's like a big sister to us, like how Itsuka is for class 1-B," Ochaco commented as they stepped into a seasonal store. "If we had Itsuka on the committee too, we'd get done in half the time."

"Tell me about it. Toga counts as -2 people where productivity is concerned."

Ochaco clamped her hands over her mouth to hide her laughter. "I-I think you're right."

 _Is she really this happy, or is Ochaco getting the most out of us before she moves later this month?_ Midoriya shook his head. _No. Come on. Don't think like that._

Instead, Midoriya occupied himself with browsing the shop with Ochaco. There were all kinds of Christmas goodies in here, from big fancy wreaths to snowman statues covered in snow-like glitter to fake mistletoe. Already, there were young men and women teasing each other with the mistletoe, and one of them looked pretty familiar.

"N-no! There's this girl I'm into!" Katsuki Bakugo snapped as a giggling young woman tried to get him under the fake mistletoe with her. She was already puckering up.

"Really? What's her name?" The young woman kept pressuring Bakugo, backing him into the store's corner.

Bakugo was bright red. "Nothing!"

"Really? What a funny name." The girl actually did the classic wall-slam move and got scarily close to the boy in question -

None other than Dark Shadow snaked through the air and very gently set the girl aside. "Sorry. He and I are working," Fumikage told the young woman, hands in his pockets. "We're planning the Christmas dance for our school."

The young woman sighed. "Very well. But you'll be mine one day, blondie!" She blew a kiss at Bakugo and skipped off.

Bakugo made an aggravated noise. "Bein' a chick magnet ain't all its cracked up to be - Deku? Uraraka?!"

He gawked when he saw Midoriya and Ochaco watching, and he hid behind a human-size nutcracker.

Ochaco giggled. "What a scene. You sure had something to hide, didn't you, Katsuki?"

Bakugo operated the giant nutcracker's mouth with the back lever and made a funny voice. "I dunno who you talkin' to, missy. I'm Nutty the Nutcracker! Show some respect!"

"C'mon, who were you hiding, Katsuki? Was it..." Ochaco gasped. "Is it _Tsuyu_? You're on the committee with her, and she's been so nice to you..."

Bakugo kept moving the nutcracker's mouth but he forgot the funny voice. "What the hell! No, it's not frog girl!"

"Then who?" Midoriya pressed him. "Your secret's safe with me."

"The hell it is!" This time, Bakugo didn't even move the nutcracker's mouth.

Fumikage rolled his eyes and dragged Bakugo from behind the giant nutcracker. "That thing costs 35,000 yen. Get away from it before you break something."

"Up yours, bird-face!"

Fumikage scowled. "Setting up that genius catering menu doesn't mean you can screw around, Katsuki."

"Oh, right." Midoriya nodded. "You guys are doing the food and drinks, aren't you? For the dance?"

Bakugo puffed out his chest. "Yeah. And it look me like ten minutes to order some great catering. Now I have free time."

"We might as well help Izuku with his stuff," Fumikage told him. "Setting up decorations is a lot of work. You don't mind, do you, Izuku? I'm not trying to say that you and Tsuyu can't handle it..."

Midoriya motioned. "Don't worry, I get it. If you guys did your part, I don't mind some backup."

"Okay, sure." Fumikage looked confused when he looked to Ochaco. "Um... what...?"

The fewer people who knew about Ochaco's rule-bending inclusion to the committee, the better. Midoriya hastily draped an arm over Ochaco's shoulder and held her closer. "Oh, I'm not here for work. We're just having a little mall date."

"That's my boy." Bakugo made a wolfish grin. "It's about time you went on another date. I guess you don't hear much gossip these days, Deku. About you and Uraraka?"

Fumikage nodded. "You and Ochaco move slower than a tranquilized snail in a tar pit."

Midoriya frowned. "Butt out, Fumikage."

"Someone said that even _Titanic_ 's love story moved faster than this," Bakugo taunted him, pointing right at Midoriya's chest. "Get a move on, Leonardo."

Midoriya stared. "Uh, what?"

Bakugo looked embarrassed. "Hey. My mom's nuts about that movie. She keeps watching it at home, so it's all I can think about. She calls Jack Dawson her 'mental side piece.' If my dad hears that, I'll get the popcorn for the divorce."

Fumikage sighed. "You have a screwed up sense of humor, Katsuki."

Bakugo made an even nastier grin. "And _you_ have a screwed up sense of music. What the hell was that playlist you had on while we looked up caterers at your house?"

"Goth music is very Christmas-y!" Fumikage shot back.

"Yeah, if you're Tim Burton."

"You like Burton, too?"  
"My _mom_ does. Her pop culture taste keeps getting into my mind. I'm going crazy."

"No crazier than usual."

"You wanna fight?!" Bakugo and Fumikage started grappling until the nearest store manager threw the four of them right the heck outta there.

Bakugo offered a hand, and Fumikage shook it. "No hard feelings?"

"None," the raven-headed boy agreed.

Ochaco snorted with laughter. "I'll never understand boys."

Bakugo raised three fingers. "PlayStation, instant ramen, and girly mags. Done."

"No. Goth poetry, apples, and swords," Fumikage corrected him. " _Now_ we're done."

"Skateboards, ramune, and backyard fireworks!"

"Goth, goth, goth."

"Did you _really_ just say that?"

"It's all a man needs."

Midoriya made a tactical retreat with Ochaco and wound his way further into the mall. "Let's try that other place," he suggested, "if we want to be done before the dance."

Ochaco nodded. "Yeah. I - Denki! Mina!"

She waved hi as both Denki and Mina approached them, steaming paper cups in hand.

"Izuku! Ochaco!" Mina cheered. "You guys look so adorable together! Perfect lovers!"

"Behind us," Denki added.

Ochaco went bright red. "Y-yeah." She wrapped her arms around Midoriya's arm again. What's with the drinks?"

"Free peppermint hot chocolate samples down on the first floor," Denki said. "Tis the season to drink up!" He took a sip and winced. "Still too hot!"

"Yeah, it's super hot," Mina added. "I took a sip earlier and now I need a tongue transplant. Is that a thing?"

Denki looked thoughtful. "Now that I consider it... maybe?"

Mina made a crafty smile. "So, Izuku. Word has it that you and Tsuyu are partners for the school dance's decorations. What a spicy development." Then she turned to Ochaco. "You're not jealous, are you? Frog girl is gonna steal your man with that long tongue of hers!" She mimed a frog tongue catching a fly.

Ochaco scowled. "Tsuyu's way too mature for that."

"But what if she isn't, and her nice attitude is all a trick?" Denki pressed her.

"Then I'll send her floating all the way to Okinawa if she tries anything." Ochaco hugged Midoriya's arm tighter.

Mina's sly smile widened. "Oooooh, I finally get to see your jealous side, Ochaco. It's cute."

Ochaco smiled back. "No, I'm just joking. I don't have anything to be afraid of. Everything's fine." She gripped Midoriya's arm even tighter.

 _The move,_ Midoriya thought with another chill. _Even if Tsuyu was desperate for me, Ochaco's going away..._

Why did he have to sabotage himself with thoughts like this? It hurt so much to even imagine the Uraraka family packing up their stuff in boxes and loading them into a moving truck...

"If you say so," Mina said with a wink. "Me and Denki are gonna visit the food court. It's time for another snack."

Midoriya blinked. "Another?"

"Everyone gains a little weight during Christmas," Denki said with a wink of his own. "Might as well get started. Join us? Unless you're just too _busy_..."  
Midoriya shared a glance with Ochaco, and they both made incoherent excuses to decline and scampered off.

"Is everyone in our class here?" Ochaco panted as they retreated to another part of the mall.

"I know, right? Gotta focus on the mission. Let's try the ground floor..."

They both went down the escalators to the first floor, where they promptly ran into Kirishima, who was looking for good fitness equipment for burning off "Christmas flab," as he put it. _That_ took awhile to escape, and after that, they ran into Yosetsu, who was agonizing over which gift to get his mystery pop idol girlfriend at a boutique store. Then they ran into Mirio Togata, who bored them to death with his detailed study plans for the coming weeks. After that, Midoriya and Ochaco got tangled up with a whole group of girls who were eager to find out how far the Deku-Uraraka relationship had progressed.

"What base have you reached?" Itsuka asked brightly.

Ochaco went red. "I-Itsuka! How could you ask something so dirty?"

Itsuka looked confused. "What's wrong? The bases are hand-holding, looking into each other's eyes, kissing, and 'I love you.' What's so bad about that?"

"Oh, honey." Setsuna Kendo snorted with laughter. "I think there's a funny way to say it in English: the four F's. They are -"

[PLUS ULTRA REDACTED!]

Okay, those were some R-rated F's!

Itsuka looked like she was about to die of embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Ochaco!" She bowed repeatedly. "I didn't mean to bring up such a crude topic!"

Midoriya made a cunning grin. "And what about _you_ , little miss Tokage?"

Setsuna gave him a suspicious look. "Say what?"

"Katsuki Bakugo is totally into you. Which of the four F's will you try on _him_?"

"Oooooh! You and the Bakugo boy?" Kinoko Komori gently kicked Setsuna's shin. "Tell us more!"

"There's nothing to tell! Bakugo's annoying!" Setsuna went pink. "Shut up!"

"I can see it happening," Yui Kodai said matter-of-factly. "He's brash but ruggedly handsome, and I _know_ that's your type, Setsuna."

"I need new friends!" Setsuna scampered off, hands over her face.

Ochaco looked impressed. "Love is in the air. Toru ought to update her little pink notebook."

"Her what?" Kinoko asked.

"Toru Hagakure in my class keeps a notebook that tracks all current and developing relationships," Ochaco explained. "The list is getting long! Mirio and Nejire, Momo and Tenya Iida, Denki and Mina, Fumikage and Reiko, Yosetsu and his mystery girlfriend, and Izuku and me."

Ochaco clapped her hands to her cheeks, going bright red. "Oh, my gosh! I said that right out loud!"

"You sure did," Yui said. "Izuku, are you going to ask Ochaco to be your Christmas dance date? It's only logical."

"Butt out, Spock." Midoriya motioned to Ochaco. "Let's get a move on."

"Sure, lover boy," Itsuka teased him. "See you at the dance!"

Needless to say, by the time Midoriya and Ochaco met with Tsuyu at 4:30, both of them were empty-handed.

Tsuyu didn't look concerned. "Maybe this was a bad time," she commented. "I got sidetracked a lot, too. Ribbit."

Midoriya hung his head. "I'm a bad committee member. I didn't get jack squat done."

Tsuyu shrugged. "Don't worry about it. Let's try again on Monday. See you then." With that, she headed for the doors.

Ochaco gave Midoriya a fond look. "She's right. It's fine, Deku. I had fun today. I like our little dates."

Midoriya couldn't help a big grin. "Yeah. Me, too."

"I just want to say... thanks for today, Izuku. I mean it." Ochaco glanced around to check for spying classmates, then stood on her tiptoes and gave Midoriya's cheek a warm kiss. "See you on Monday!" She turned and scampered off.

Midoriya touched the kissed spot on his cheek, his mind racing. This was turning out to be like a Christmas unlike any other, even counting that time his aunt brought over a 50-pound fruitcake that broke the dinner table...

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya felt a little bad when Bakugo flew into a rage at Monday's committee meeting, announcing that his chosen caterer had bailed on him. Now Bakugo and Fumikage were the ones lagging behind the most.

"What's this? Class 1-A is holding us back?" Neito said snidely, lounging in his seat. " And here I thought -"

Tsuyu did everyone a favor and crammed her pencil case into his yapper.

"It's all right," Ms. Kayama said gently. "I'm sure you'll find something in time for the 23rd! We can use empty plates and glasses to test the setup for this Friday's trial run."

Bakugo went pale. "H-huh?"

Ms. Kayama beamed. "I have so much faith in the eight of you. I moved up the date of our test run to this Friday! I'm sure you little angels won't let me down." She blew a kiss to each of them.

Bakugo looked like he was being forced to walk the plank. "I don't have jack squat!" he hissed Midoriya's ear. "No plates or nothin'! And dumb Fumikage won't agree with me on anything."

"I can _hear you just fine_ ," Fumikage grouched. "We are not serving Red Bull cocktails! What is that even supposed to be?"

"A way to keep everyone juiced up," Bakugo retorted. "It's a good idea! Admit it!"

"I'm all caught up, Ms. Kayama," Toru added. "I've got the dance's Facebook and Twitter accounts up and running, and I'm gonna do some poster printing on Wednesday. My dad knows a good printing firm."

Ms. Kayama sighed with delight and held her face in her hands. "If you didn't have your mommy and daddy around, I'd adopt you right now!"

"She's got no boundaries," Neito muttered darkly. For once, Midoriya agreed with him.

"Neito, Mirio, how about the dance playlist?" Ms. Kayama asked them. "Will we have a totally groovy soundtrack?"

Neito grunted. "Maybe. I don't usually do this sort of thing, but my cousin is an aspiring DJ. Maybe it'll help."

"It'll be a big help! Why didn't you mention that before?" Mirio looked delighted as he turned in his seat to face Neito. "We'll knock this thing right out of the park! I'm so glad I'm your partner."

Neito looked flabbergasted by Mirio's enthusiasm. "Uh... sure."

Ms. Kayama turned to Himiko Toga. "Himiko, darling, I'm sure you're working hard, too?"

Toga looked up from a light novel she was reading. "Huh?"

"Your part of the dance preparation. Is working coming along okay?"

Toga made a blankly happy face. "Remind me what I'm doing again?"

Everyone groaned.

"Lights, tickets, and the photographer," Ms. Kayama told her. "I gave you a big enough budget. Can you get it done?"

"Oh, _that's_ what the money was for? I spent it on snacks and a limited edition Lucky Star figurine."

Neito slammed his head on his desk.

"Well, I suggest you launch a fundraiser, little lady," Ms. Kayama urged her. "We're counting on you!"

Then she turned on Midoriya and Tsuyu. "How about the decorations?"

"We'll take care of it after school," Midoriya promised her hastily. "Tsuyu and I found some places at the mall. We'll get everything ready by Friday. I hope."

"It's a tight deadline," Tsuyu added. "I wasn't expecting Friday. I've already ordered some items that won't come in until the weekend or so."

"Oh, it's all right," Ms. Kayama said gently. Then she turned stern. "But I'd better see decorations worthy of Buckingham Palace by the 23rd, or else!"

Tsuyu jolted. "Y-yes, ma'am!"

Ms. Kayama directed her Death Star laser beam of sternness at Midoriya. "And you, kiddo?"

Midoriya tried to show no fear. He probably was. "I'll get it done!"

"Great!" Ms. Kayama relaxed again. "We seem to be a bit behind. Get cracking, darlings, so we can make the Friday deadline! Thursday, if you can manage it!"

"I doubt it, with this crowd," Fumikage muttered.

The meeting was finally dismissed, and Midoriya first texted Ochaco (telling her to meet him at the mall again), then met up with Tsuyu to get some _real_ work done with the girls. Dance party or bust!


	28. Chapter 28

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 28: Start the Trial Run (and not a fire, if you can help it)**

Classes on Friday zipped right on by, and before he knew it, Midoriya was setting up all the Christmas dance goodies with the rest of the committee in the school gym. Normally, the basketball team would have practice right now, but Ms. Kayama used a combination of sweet words, candy bribes, and possibly her quirk (what was it, exactly?) to drive them off. Now the huge gym was the committee's plaything.

And battleground.

"No! Over there! Move it!" Himiko Toga said, pointing at another spot on the floor.

Tsuyu gave her a funny look. "That's not where it goes. Ribbit." She had just finished putting a six-foot-tall fake Christmas tree in place, one of several in a staggered line.

Toga motioned with her hands. "It's gotta be a zig-zag pattern, not a boring straight line."

"Why?"

"Uh... 'cause it looks nice!"

"Your job is tickets, lighting, and photography. None of which you've done. Ribbit."

Toga put her fists on her hips. "I'll get Midoriya to set you straight."

Midoriya, who was halfway through decorating the first tree in the line, froze. "H-hey! Leave me out of this!"

Toga blew him a kiss just like Ms. Kayama often did. "Please? Do it for me?"

"You ought to work on your own stuff, Toga. We're counting on you."

"That comes later," Toga cooed. "If you back me up, I'll give you a peek down my uniform's shirt later..." She toyed with her uniform's top button.

Tsuyu extended that long tongue of hers and moved Toga's hands away. "Less seducing, more work. Have some modesty. Ribbit."

Toga stuck out her tongue. "Modesty is for boring girls who can't get a man. If you were a boy, Tsuyu, I'd have you wrapped around my little finger." Toga held up a little finger, which somehow looked like flipping the bird.

Meanwhile, Bakugo and Fumikage were having other problems.

"That place is too expensive, Katsuki," Fumikage was arguing as he and Bakugo set up the concessions tables. "It doesn't matter how much you like Korean barbecue. We don't have the budget."

"Sell half that crap in your bedroom, and we'll have the cash," Bakugo retorted.

"Why don't you sell your rare _Ghost in the Shell_ figurines first?"

Bakugo pointed a plastic fork at Fumikage's face. "Cram it! Shirow Masamune signed them!"

Fumikage blinked. "Wait, really?"

"I bet Edgar Allan Poe never signed your stupid short story book."

"No, but I have an original page from the first edition of _The Fall of the House of Usher_."

"Uh... what?"

"My dad won it in an auction for me for my 12th birthday."

"Jeez. I got a mountain bike when I turned 12. Like a _man_."

"Really? I heard you cried when your dad dropped your 12th birthday cake."

"CRAM IT!"

In other news, Mirio was imitating a cool DJ while playing with the sound system, headphones over his ears, beatboxing as he scratched a record.

Neito made a face. "Do you _have_ to do that, upperclassman?"  
Mirio made his classic innocent smile. "I'm just getting in the mood. It's a party, not a funeral!"

"I bet bird-brain here would DJ at a funeral," Bakugo commented. Fumikage balled up a paper napkin and threw it at him.

"It's just lame," Neito complained. "You're supposed to set an example, upperclassman. We have enough lunatics around here."

"Break it down!" Mirio kept beatboxing.

Toru walked over. "Guys, can't we get along? We're a team! Ms. Kayama is counting on us!"

"Did you do _your_ part?" Toga challenged her.

Toru did a happy dance. "I sure did! 50 invites for this test party at 5:00 sharp. It's..." She checked her pink watch. "4:53, so we'd better hurry."

Toga made a cunning smile that Midoriya did _not_ like.

But he did like these decorations. With Ochaco unofficially helping out by choosing some decorations ahead of time, the gym already looked pretty great. The trees were a nice backdrop for the dance floor, and Midoriya got that giant nutcracker Bakugo had played with in the mall. Not to mention a few giant wreaths on the walls, piles of fake, glittery snow, and giant candy canes. And now, Midoriya was putting up the red, green, and gold ornaments Ochaco had provided. These ornaments were just solid colors, but with all the other decorations for the real party, some plain decorations made for "visual relief," as Tsuyu put it. In other words: simple but effective.

Granted Toga wasn't stealing them. Which she kept doing.

"Give that back." Midoriya scowled and held out his hand when Toga snuck over to steal one.

Toga giggled. "Give _what_ back?"

"That ornament! C'mon!"

"You want it, don't you?" Toga unbuttoned her uniform blouse's top button and crammed the ornament in there. "Come and get it."

"You -!"

"Oh! Compromise!" Toru hurried over and held real mistletoe over Toga. "Literally kiss and make up, and we'll put this all behind us."

Toga brightened. "Yeah! Kiss time, Izuku!" She clasped her hands under her chin and leaned forward a bit, eyes closed and lips puckered.

"Uh..."

The doors banged open and Ms. Kayama strode in, already dressed in a sexy gender-bender Santa outfit. "I hope we're almost ready, my little Christmas angels!" she said in a sing-song tone. "There's a big crowd out there! You all must feel pretty confident."

"Yeah, I invited 50 people for the test," Toru said happily. She still held the mistletoe over Toga. "This is gonna be fun!"

Ms. Kayama glanced over her shoulder at the doors. "There's a lot more than 50 students out there. It's more like three hundred."

Tsuyu nearly choked. "What?! Ribbit!"

"No, that can't be right," Toru said. "I swear I'm doing everything carefully, Ms. Kayama. I invited the first 50 people to respond to my official Twitter challenge to join the test party. The invites for the real party are totally separate."

"You're a big dum-dum, Toru," Toga teased her. "Oops! Lots of extra students! Can we handle it?"  
Bakugo looked at the door as though expecting _The Lord of the Rings_ orcs to invade the gym. "But we ain't ready! What the hell!"

Ms. Kayama checked her watch. "Three... two... one!"

She wasn't kidding.

Midoriya clapped his hands over his ears as about three to four hundred-ish students flooded into the gym, chattering away. They easily filled up a third of the gym, and there weren't nearly enough decorations or tables and chairs or plates for everyone. And the dance floor was too cramped for this crowd, since it was only set up for 50.

"What's up with this, Izuku?" Hanta Sero asked him over the crowd's chatter. "Shouldn't there be more stuff?"

"Yeah, there's not enough here," Yosetsu added. "Did your budget run out? Bummer."

Midoriya motioned frantically. "Don't get the wrong idea! We were supposed to invite just 50 people for a small practice party! Something went wrong."

Toru tossed aside the mistletoe and intervened. "Don't sweat it, Izuku," she said brightly. "Let's just try it! And I need to check the party's Twitter account security..." She wandered off, cell phone in her hands.

Meanwhile, Mirio finally stopped playing with the record player and put on the first song of the soundtrack. All the students started dancing to the fun song, but there wasn't room.

"Crap! Sorry!" The burly Jurota Shishida of class 1-B knocked over one of Midoriya's trees. "I didn't mean to...!"

"It's okay." Midoriya hurried over to set it up, but someone else knocked over another tree, then the nutcracker! There was a nasty wooden _crack_ when it split into three pieces on the hardwood floor. And that wasn't all. Students were pushing tables out of the way to make room, ruining the carefully-honed arrangement.

Midoriya clutched his face. "We're doomed!" Nearby, Fumikage and Bakugo said much the same thing in total dismay.

Then Tsuyu came along.

"It's just the test. We can fix this. Ribbit." Tsuyu took hold of Midoriya's wrist and guided him into the party.

"Huh?"

Tsuyu looked over her shoulder and smiled. "The real party will be fine. Blow off some steam, will you?"

And then, as though by magic, she reached out, found and took hold of Ochaco's wrist, and brought her over to Midoriya.

"Deku!" Ochaco looked like she was trying not to laugh. "What a lively crowd. I feel like I'm at a rock concert!"

"I dunno _what's_ going on," Midoriya admitted. "What a disaster."

Ochaco smiled. "Let's just make the most of it." She gave Midoriya an encouraging look, then busted out a few dance moves to prompt him.

 _Oh, why not._ Midoriya joined her. It... well, it felt _right_ , and Midoriya decided that maybe this test party wasn't so bad after all. He grinned when the crowd cheered as a popular song came on, and Mirio nodded to the beat as he managed the record player.

"I'm gonna miss this place," Ochaco said breathlessly as the song went on. "I've never had this much fun!" She did a fancy dance move that got some applause.

"Yeah. Party hard." Midoriya felt another chill. Ochaco... he couldn't read her at all, when she acted like that. And it was still possible that he was just overthinking things! Why was this so complicated?!

Once again, Midoriya forced those thoughts out of his mind. There was no need to darken this lively dance rehearsal with such things, especially with so much nonsense going on. Ms. Kayama drew big applause from doing what looked like a rapid version of the flamenco, while Neito did a very stiff and awkward dance not unlike what Charlie Brown did in those American cartoons. Bakugo, meanwhile, mourned like a grieving parent as he cradled the remains of his beloved giant nutcracker. Itsuka Kendo knelt with him, patting him on the back for comfort. Besides that. plenty of the school's power couples were here too, like Mina and Denki doing an awkward but earnest attempt at a spicy waltz variant while Momo and Iida did some silly boogie-woogie thing and Fumikage and Reiko did... Midoriya didn't even know what to call it.

"Hey! Izuku! Ochaco!"

Yosetsu emerged from the crowd at some point, cell phone in his hands. "I've got my girlfriend here on a Face Time call. I want you to meet her!"

"Oooooooh! I wanna see!" Ochaco looked delighted as she stopped dancing for a moment. "Is she pretty?"

"See for yourself." Yosetsu proudly handed over his phone.

Ochaco held the phone so that she and Izuku could see the screen. It was solid black.

"I think your battery died, bud," Midoriya told Yosetsu.

Yosetsu groaned. "What the hell! Her manager said I could show her to a friend or two if I was careful about it. And now _this_ happens?" He accepted his kaput cell phone from Ochaco, hanging his head. "That's what I get for flushing my phone's recharge cable down the toilet."

Midoriya blinked. "Say what?"

"Don't ask. See you around, guys..." Yosetsu shuffled off.

Ochaco made a sympathetic noise. "He must be so happy with his girlfriend. Maybe he could invite her to the real dance as a guest? I hope principal Nezu would let him."

"He might," Midoriya said. "I wonder if she would bring security guards?"

"I bet she only needs Yosetsu for her personal safety," Ochaco said slyly. "He'd punch through a brick wall to save her. I can see it in him."

"That sounds like something coach Yagi would do."

"I bet. Anyway, let's dance!" Ochaco took Midoriya's hand and led him into a boogie-woogie move not unlike what Momo and Iida were doing. It was actually pretty fun, since the standards around here were mercifully low.

The party ended far too soon.

"Well! I didn't think I'd get a turnout this big!" Mirio said cheerily when the stopped the music and the crowd wound down. "Thanks for coming, guys! I'll see you all again on the 23rd!"

The chattering crowd slowly dispersed. Midoriya looked outside the gym windows and saw that the sky was a deep purple. How much time had passed?

Ochaco was missing, too.

"Ochaco? Where are you?" Midoriya checked the departing crowd, but he didn't see her. He waved his hands, but no one responded.

"Relax, Deku." Bakugo clapped a hand on Midoriya's back. "She's probably got homework. Heck, I do too. But I ain't in a rush."

"She..." Midoriya swallowed. "Forget it. It's nothing."

Which it certainly was not!

*o*o*o*o*

Midoriya wasn't surprised when, later that evening during his homework session, he got a group text message from Toru Hagakure. It read: _GUYS! Himiko hacked my Twitter account and invited all those people! It wasn't my fault. Himiko, how could you?!_

Midoriya rolled his eyes. He should have known. And it didn't take long for a response to appear.

 _Only 50 people? Thanks for the tea party, grandma. I made it a REAL party!_

Midoriya snorted at Toga's response. It was just like her to not even deny it.

 _That's irresponsible,_ Tsuyu added to the group text. _We're working hard, Toga. Do your part._

Toga sent a bunch of emoticons, then followed up with _Fine, and I already bought a roll of blank carnival tickets to use. I'm helping! Why don't you hop away, froggy?_

 _It's Froppy. THAT'S my nickname._

 _Froggy is cuter._

 _Is not._

 _Just don't hack my Twitter!_ Toga put in.

 _Look at that. Class 1-A let us down again!_ Neito added.

 _SHUT UP!_ Everyone else, including Midoriya, shot back.

Neito left the group chat.

After a little more hassle, everyone got Toga to agree to mind her own part of the party, and Midoriya sighed as he set aside his phone. He had to concentrate on his math teacher would _not_ be happy! That guy was pretty scary.

Then his phone rang.

"Now what?" Midoriya muttered. Then he saw Tsuyu's caller ID, and he accepted the call. "Hey, Tsuyu."

 _"Izuku? You already knew about Ochaco moving away?"_ Tsuyu said in a pained voice.

Midoriya's guts went cold. "Uh... yeah."

There was a second of silence. _"She told me everything in private during the practice dance, while everyone was occupied,"_ Tsuyu said heavily. _"She trusts us so much, Izuku. You haven't told anyone about it, have you?"_  
"No! Never!"

Tsuyu audibly sighed. _"I almost cried when I got back home. She's one of my best friends, Izuku. And yours, too."_

Midoriya toyed with his mechanical pencil. Algebra could wait. "I'm gonna miss her. She just fit into my life like a puzzle piece. It can't believe it's only been about three months."

 _"I can't blame her, if her family needs work,"_ Tsuyu said in a wavering voice. _"But Izuku... I can't imagine what you're thinking. You love her, don't you?"_

"Hey!" Midoriya yelped loudly, then clapped a hand over his mouth. Oops!

Inko creaked open the bedroom door. "Izuku, are you all right?"

Midoriya made an embarrassed smile. "I-I got this problem wrong." He pointed at his homework, at a question he most certainly got right.

Inko nodded. "Do your best, sweetheart." She closed the door.

Midoriya tried to slow his racing heart as he turned his attention back to his phone. "Me and Ochaco?"

 _"I'm not a child, Izuku,"_ Tsuyu told him. _"Everyone knows you love her. I'm so sorry. You must have been crushed when you found out she's leaving later this month."_

Midoriya groaned. "Yeah. I wasn't counting on _that_."

 _"Please be strong, Izuku,"_ Tsuyu told him. _"I believe in you. And her."_

"Thanks, Tsuyu. Or should I say Froppy?"

Tsuyu made a watery giggle. _"Okay, yeah. And you're welcome. Please hang in there. See you at school. Ribbit."_ She hung up.

 _So now it's me and Tsuyu who know_ , Midoriya thought as he tried to focus on math again. Tsuyu was kind and responsible. She wouldn't mess this up. But where was "this" going, anyway? He wanted Ochaco so badly, but they both knew what was coming.

He gently thunked his forehead on his desk and groaned. Right now, Bakugo's biggest problem was probably wiping Cheetos dust off his PlayStation 4 (again). Midoriya once had that kind of existence, too. Where did the simple life go?


	29. Chapter 29

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 29: A Night Out On the Town (just a town, indeed)**

That Saturday, Tsuyu had a fine idea indeed: she, Midoriya, Ochaco, and some of the others should take a break from the party planning work and have a night out on the town. Midoriya got on a warm jacket (it was a mild winter so far) and took a cab to the appointed street corner by the town's movie theater. Looks like no one else was here yet...

"Oh. Hi, Deku!" Ochaco approached him, waving happily. "I didn't know you were out and about."

Midoriya blinked. "What? But Tsuyu invited us all out here."

Ochaco hesitated. "Who's 'us'?"

"Y'know, her, you, me, Mirio, Fumikage..."

Ochaco put a finger on her chin and glanced up. "That's funny. Tsuyu invited me to a fun girls' night out on the town. I got dressed up and everything! You can't tell under this coat, but I'm dressed to party."

Midoriya frowned. "Something seems off about this. Let me double check with Tsuyu..."

The minute he checked his phone's screen, his answer was right there. A text message from Tsuyu read: _Surprise! It's just you and Ochaco, Izuku. Why not have a wonderful evening together? You guys move so slowly! Get a move on._

Midoriya gawked at his phone's glowing screen in the evening twilight. No way. That scheming little tree frog!

He looked up with an awkward smile. "We played right into Tsuyu's friendly trap. There's no girls' night out. It's just us."

Ochaco snapped her fingers. "That explains why Tsuyu was so vague about the plans!"

"And why she worded things so weirdly when she invited me to go out with friends tonight!"

They stared at each other, then burst into embarrassed laughter. "It's almost like Tsuyu is trying to set us up," Ochaco said, fanning herself. She was bright pink. "We're doing just fine, aren't we?"

"Totally fine! This is nuts!" Midoriya cleared his throat. "But you know what?" He extended his hand with warm smile. "Let's have a good time."

Ochaco smiled back and took his hand. "I'm all yours."

 _Tsuyu's acting like Toga, really,_ Midoriya thought as he hunted down a nearby diner. _Maybe I finally wore out her patience._

Tough-love Tsuyu wasn't so bad, though.

"There's so much Christmas stuff out here," Ochaco commented warmly as they casually strolled down the busy sidewalk. "And it's so bright out."

She was right. The sun was setting, but the downtown area was awash with strings of white lights, fake snowmen and wreaths, and lots of other Christmas goodies. In the store windows, there were mini fir trees dusted with snow, nutcrackers, and a whole lot more. And not surprisingly, there were lots of couples out and about tonight, lots of them holding hands or going into nearby diners and restaurants for a warm meal inside. Some of the stores were playing Christmas music, and people were chattering and laughing.

It was like a postcard!

The kind of postcard that totally pressured you to reach first base with your date.

"Hey, I like this place," Midoriya commented, pointing at a cozy diner up ahead. "Are you hungry?"

"Mmmmm... yeah. I only had a light dinner. Let's go in!"

Midoriya wouldn't have believed it three months ago, but here he was, taking a girl to a restaurant for an evening date like it was no big deal. Right? He had plenty of things he wanted to talk to her about, carefully filtering them through his mind. But...

"We'll be right back with your order," the lovely waitress said with a little bow once Midoriya and Ochaco placed their orders.

Ochaco toyed with her glass of ice water, her eyes on Midoriya as a faint smile crept across her lips. "You know, Deku, there's still so many things I don't know about you."

"Whoa. What brought that on?"

"I've never had a friend like you before," Ochaco said fondly. She kept stirring her ice water with her plastic straw. "You're so easy to get along with, and so funny. You and Bakugo and Mina and the others..."

"Shucks, you're making me blush."

"I had friends at my other schools," Ochaco said, half to herself, "but none like you guys. How long have you known Bakugo? What do you want to do in college? What was your favorite vacation? And what's your earliest memory?"

"My earliest memory would spoil your appetite," Midoriya admitted, and Ochaco giggled. "But my _second_ earliest memory is chewing pretty hard on a red crayon in preschool. I thought it would taste like strawberries. Or at least, that's probably what my three-year-old mind was thinking. And my third oldest memory would _definitely_ ruin your appetite."

"Hmmmmmmm..." Ochaco kept stirring her ice water. She rested her chin on one hand, her casual smile still in place. "What about the future? I've never heard you talk about what you wanna do out of high school."

"That's, uh..." Midoriya thought back on the awkward job fair earlier this semester, and how the others knew what they wanted to do later on but not him. He shrugged. "Personal fitness?"

Ochaco's brown eyes lit up. "That sounds really cool."

"Nah, it's just telling your clients to do push-ups and showing them charts of the muscle groups. Boring stuff."

"No, not if it's something you like!" Ochaco sat upright and finally left her ice water alone. "Deku, you ought to do something you really like. I know how fit you are, and how you kept trying out for the soccer team. Lots of people aren't in shape. You could help them."

"Well... I _did_ have a gym membership last year," Midoriya said, wondering where the heck Ochaco was going with this. Couldn't the food get here yet? "I can do a pretty mean chin-up."

Ochaco smiled. "Not me. Heck, I can't do a sit-up without getting dizzy."

"C'mon, I'm sure you're tougher than that."

"Okay, _two_ sit-ups." Ochaco giggled. "Well, I'm not your counselor. Do what you like. But I think you've got more figured out than you realize."

"And people think I'm the advice guru around here."

"You got all those couples together, didn't you?" Ochaco relaxed again, resuming stirring her ice water. "Denki and Mina would have broken up if it weren't for you. And now they're some of the happiest people in town. Mina can't stop talking about how happy Denki makes her, and their fun date ideas."

"Those guys were bound to get together. I just gave Denki a little push."

"And Momo and Iida... they're so beautiful together. I might miss them even more."

"Yeah, I..." Midoriya tensed. _So that's it. Deep down, I knew this was coming._ He forced himself to smile. "I did a good number on them, huh? Power couple of the school."

At long last, their food came, and Ochaco moved on to other topics, such as how good the kimchi rice was around here. Soon enough, she resumed the questions. "What's the coolest vacation you ever took? What was it like?"

Midoriya finished his mouthful of noodles. "Sydney."

Ochaco gasped. "Australia? Oh, no way! Is it as fun there as it looks?"  
"I dunno. How fun do jellyfish and kangaroos look?" Midoriya made a teasing grin.

"Oh, stop that. I've always wanted to see the world." Ochaco finally took a sip of water. "My family once visited Hokkaido, when I started middle school. It's cold up there, but Sapporo is so beautiful."

"Tell me more..."

Midoriya allowed himself to get lost in the moment, and he forgot all about what was in the back of his mind as he and Ochaco had a fine dinner. And after that, he took her to a dance studio, where they and some other couples did their best to learn some dance moves. Luckily, no one from their class was there, or Midoriya's "moves" would be all over Facebook for all time. Ochaco didn't seem to care either way, though. She looked great tonight, in a red, knee-length gown and black flats and a thin gold necklace. Midoriya reminded himself that she had dressed up for a girls' night out, not a date with him, but he liked to imagine that she had wanted to show him her elegant side. Darn it... too bad Midoriya was dressed for a casual night on the town, or he would have put on those stupidly expensive designer clothes from Best Jeanists' shop! Well, next time...

"Whew! That's a real workout." Ochaco wiped her brow with the back of her hand when the lessons were over. She grinned. "You were pretty good out there, Deku. How come you looked like you swallowed a lemon?"

"I guess I take Bakugo too seriously when he describes my dance moves as 'drunk mime.'"

Ochaco scowled. "He teases you too much, you know that?"

"Hey, it's not all bad. He once went down a slope too fast on his skateboard and crashed into someone's shrub. For the next week, I kept sprinkling leaves on his desk to remind him of his jungle adventure."

Ochaco actually snorted with laughter and covered her mouth. "You boys are too much."

"It's just what we do." Midoriya felt like he definitely had some momentum going. "Hey, there's going to be some carolers around 9th street soon. Let's check it out..."

Midoriya hardly noticed the moon rising in the chilly night sky as he showed Ochaco how people did things here in town around Christmas time, and he felt like the night would never end. He knew deep down that he was acting in denial, due to what was going to happen later this month. He didn't care. He was happy _now_.

Finally, Midoriya and Ochaco sat with together on a wooden bench at the edge of a nearby park, taking a moment to chill out before taking a cab home.

 _This is the best night I've had in a long time,_ Midoriya thought giddily. He made a mental note to thank Tsuyu later. Froppy was a regular genius.

"D'you think we should call a cab?" Ochaco asked after a few more minutes.

"In a minute." Midoriya felt his heart start to race. It was now or never. "Ochaco, I had a really good time."

"Me, too. Thanks for tonight, Deku."

"Yeah. Well, what I mean is..." Midoriya swallowed. He forced himself to keep going before he lost this precious momentum. Run for home base! "Ochaco, I haven't felt this way about... well, about a girl before. You're not just a friend to me, you're someone really special."

"I..." Ochaco put a hand over her mouth. "Oh my gosh... Izuku, I thought we were going out as friends. I mean... I didn't realize you thought of me as your _girl_ friend."

 _All that as just friends?! No way!_ "I really like you, Ochaco," Midoriya said earnestly, looking right into her eyes. "I wanted to be... y'know, something more. Like _that_."

"Like...?"

Ochaco wasn't dumb. She just wanted him to say it. Fine.

"Ochaco, I think I'm in love with you. You mean everything to me. I need you to know that."

Midoriya swore he could see those words floating in the air as Ochaco's mind digested them. He knew it was futile to do this. But he couldn't stop these feelings, whatever he did.

"Oh, no." Ochaco made a pained expression as she clapped both hands over her mouth. "Izuku, I... I can't. You know I'm moving away soon."

"I had to say it, Ochaco! I can't keep it bottled up."

"Yes, and that's fair enough, but..." Ochaco slowly lowered her hands, her eyes wavering. "Izuku, I'm just scared to start something serious with you just to have it cut off so soon. I have to leave this town, and who knows, my family might move again the next year. We move a lot for work."

"Ochaco..."

"I can't do it, Izuku." Ochaco looked like she was close to tears. "M-maybe it was a bad idea to go out like this after all. Going to the school dance is one thing, but..." She gripped her knees, staring down at her feet. "I like you too, Izuku. A lot! But going out for real, being boyfriend and girlfriend... it would make saying good-bye so hard! I don't know where I'll end up the next year, or the year after that. And I can't ask you to come with me."

Midoriya stared at her for a moment, his insides like lead. This was going wo wrong, so fast. But maybe Ochaco was right. They knew that she was going away. What was he thinking, trying to make this evening's outing a date-date? "I'm sorry," he ended up saying.

Ochaco wiped her eyes. "It's okay." She took a deep breath. "Just tell me one thing. Izuku, how come you like me so much? I'm not special. I can't take you out to fancy dinners or go on cool vacations. My family can barely keep a roof over our heads."

"I love you because I'm happy around you! Isn't that enough?"

Midoriya realized that he was raising his voice, and he forced himself to cool down. But that didn't change what he said.

Ochaco made a watery smile. "You think that way... about me? You're such a flatterer."

"Well, it's true." Midoriya folded his arms. "Around here, we're honest with people. That's how it is."

Ochaco made a nervous laugh. "No kidding."

Midoriya's mind was racing. There had to be a way out of this. "Hey... can't we just do a long-distance sort of thing? Lots of people do that, like on Skype, and daily phone chats. I'd love to hear your voice."

"I... I dunno." Ochaco looked somber again, staring at her feet again. "It's not impossible, but... I'd miss you so much, Izuku. And I can't help thinking that we'd drift apart over time, how we'd have different futures, and... well, what if it's the same thing again, where we set ourselves up just to have it end too soon?"

"I guess you might be right." It hurt so bad saying that, worse than the time Jiro accidentally dropped a bowling ball on his foot. Wasn't there any way to be with the girl of his dreams?

Ochaco sniffed again. "I'm so sorry if I crushed your plans for us. But... I don't want either of us to get hurt more than we have to, Izuku. Even the minute my mom and dad moved here, I was sure that we'd move away again soon. And sure enough..." She sighed.

"Look, just know that I don't blame you for any of this." Midoriya motioned with his hands. "Your family has to do what it has to, right?" It hurt to say that too, worse than the time Bakugo accidentally dropped a bowling ball on his other foot (that had been one painful bowling game).

Ochaco smiled. "I'm so happy you understand. You're such a great guy, Izuku. I'm gonna miss you most of all." She leaned over and wrapped him in a tight hug, resting her chin on his shoulder. "I'm sorry," she said again.

"No. It's all right." Midoriya simply let Ochaco hold him, vaguely wondering if this would be the last time they embraced. The scent of Ochaco's perfume and shampoo tickled his nose in the chilly night air, tantalizing him. She was here, so close, so warm.

 _Ochaco, please don't leave me._

Ochaco finally stood and headed for the sidewalk. "I-I have to go. Let's find a cab."

"Yeah. A cab." Midoriya joined her at the street corner and waved to hail a taxi. They'd share a car back home, but Midoriya knew not to continue this conversation during the drive to their neighborhood. It was clear that Ochaco was 100% done talking about this. And maybe he was, too.

And where did they stand with the school dance? Midoriya was gonna invite her there as his awesome date. Unless that would be too painful in light of the coming move, too... crud. None of the pieces were fitting together!

Not the merriest of Christmases, that was for sure.


	30. Chapter 30

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 30: Smoothing Things Over (like frosting on a cake!)**

Needless to say, the next few days at school were kinda awkward, and Midoriya didn't know what to say whenever Ochaco was seated next to him in Mr. Aizawa's homeroom class. Ochaco, for her part, was quiet and buried herself in studying, totally giving the "away on business" signal. Bummer.

"Winter finals are coming up," Mr. Aizawa was saying. "I hope the lot of you are nearly finished studying. We're not taking it easy on you kids."

"Do you ever?" Denki whined.

"More than you think, blondie," Aizawa said grumpily. "We give you all the chances in the world..."

Meanwhile, a paper note found its way on Midoriya's desk, and he hurried to check it out (hiding it behind his history book so Mr. Aizawa wouldn't see). He recognized that neat, fancy handwriting at once as Momo's. _Izuku, are you quite all right? You and Ochaco seem so preoccupied and downcast._

Momo, passing notes in class? This was something serious! What would she do next, set the library on fire? No, that was what Bakugo kept threatening to do if he got any more homework...

Midoriya scribbled his response on the papers other side: _No, we're fine. And I'm busy with prep for the school dance._ Which was pretty much true. Thank goodness Toga switched from devil girl mode and become somewhat useful lately. As long as Ms. Kayama kept handing over those blank checks!

It didn't take long for the response to come back. Two, actually.

 _Izuku, you're a good friend of mine. If something is bothering you, you may confide in me. -Momo_

 _Izuku Midoriya! As class president, I assure you that I have your and Ochaco Uraraka's best interests at heart! Confide in me, and we can sort this out! -Tenya_

Midoriya rolled his eyes and wrote his response on each one: _Chill, guys. I'm fine._ He gently tossed one onto Momo's desk and the other on Iida's, glad that Mr. Aizawa was distracted negotiating for Denki to wash his car in exchange for study help.

The papers came right back.

 _There's no need to be coy, Izuku. Please let us help you, the way you once helped us. -Momo_

 _IZUKU! There is no need for delinquent slang! I cannot "chill out" like a 1990s skater until this matter is resolved! -Tenya_

Midoriya wrote another "it's ok" response and tossed the papers back, glad that Aizawa was still preoccupied, this time by Mina offering to walk his dogs in exchange for help studying. Wait, Aizawa had dogs now? He was normally a cat person, judging by his work computer's screensaver slideshow...

"What is this?"

Midoriya nearly jumped out of his skin when Aizawa seemingly teleported between his and Momo's desks, a paper note held in his hand. Angry veins stood out on his forehead.

"What's what?" Midoriya asked ever so innocently.

"Are you kids passing _notes_?" Aizawa unfolded the paper and read it. "Yaoyorozu! Iida! I expected better of you!"

Momo bolted to her feet and bowed deeply. "I'm sorry! I won't do such a delinquent thing again!"

"Nor will I!" Iida prepared a whopper of a bow. "Teacher, I promise - oof!"

He bowed too hard and ended up pitching forward, falling flat onto his belly as his classmates giggled around him.

"R.I.P. Tenya Iida. Bowed himself to death," Jiro joked. "He died doing what he loved best..."

"I'll never die... as long as delinquents are out there to be admonished..." Iida groaned from the floor. Midoriya had no doubt that this was the truth.

"Come and get me, four-eyes," Bakugo teased him, reclining in his chair and tossing his pencil case back and forth between his hands in an annoying fashion.

"You're going down first... Katuski Bakugo..."

Aizawa sighed. "Whatever. Just quit passing notes. You have to set an example." He returned to his desk and started using his computers. Probably looking at stock photos of cats to cheer himself up.

Iida, meanwhile, staggered to his feet like some battered Shonen protagonist and leaned over to whisper in Midoriya's ear. "Are you quite sure you're all right, Izuku Midoriya?"

Okay, this was getting uncool. "It's private," Midoriya hissed back. "You can repay me by buying me a pork bun or something."

"Yes! Then I shall do it!" Iida snapped a salute. "The best pork bun in this hemisphere!"

"Sure, just sit down before you fall over from saluting."

Iida paled. "That might really happen!" He rushed to his seat and pretended to study his classic literature notes.

Midoriya hesitated. He didn't mean to snap, but still... him and Ochaco. How was he supposed to resolve _this_?

*o*o*o*o*

"My darling boy is so sad! He needs _me_!"

Midoriya sighed with irritation when, at lunch, Himiko Toga wrapped him in a tight hug from behind and rested her chin on his shoulder. "I'm fine, Toga."

"Mmmmmm... no you aren't. Something's got my darling feeling bluer than the summer sky."

"That's weirdly poetic, coming from you."

"So, what's the matter?" Toga licked her lips, ignoring the funny look she was drawing. "Failed a test? Dog died?"

"I don't have a dog!"

"Favorite manga got canceled? Bike got a flat tire? Ran out of potato chips?"

"I'm not that petty. Bakugo might be, though."

Four seats away, Bakugo looked up from his bowl of rice, making his usual angry face. "I'm not petty, Deku! What the hell!"

Then he accidentally spilled his rice bowl and wailed in despair.

Toga patted Midoriya's chest. "Let me make you feel better, my sweet little motchi."

"Please don't. And let go, will you?"

Toga managed to exchange the hug for cramming herself onto his lap like a lover. She put a finger to his lips, her yellow eyes eager. "You can talk to me, Izuku," she cooed. "I can make you feel _all_ better."

"You're sure in a good mood."

Toga smiled wider. "Ms. Kayama gave me such a wonderful compliment for finishing my work. I set up all kinds of pretty lights for the dance party, and I found the nicest photographer man."

"Good work. Now can I please finish lunch?"

"Ms. Kayama lent me one of her boy-love manga volumes as a tasty reward." Toga patted Midoriya's thigh. "I'm on a roll. Let me help you. I feel like I can do anything!"

"Start by transferring to another school!"

"I can't help my darling like that..." Toga leaned closer to Midoriya's ear, lowering her eyelids. "Here, let me -"

That was right when Itsuka Kendo, today's lunch monitor, stomped over and yanked Toga away by the collar of her uniform.

"Sorry I'm late," Itsuka said, holding Toga aloft like she was a freshly caught raccoon.

Midoriya made a bracing smile. "Thanks for watching my back. I'm not having the best week."

Itsuka carried away the squirming Toga, who threatened to kiss the other girl and make Itsuka's mystery boyfriend from another school jealous. Not like that guy would see it, anyway.

Winter break couldn't come soon enough.

*o*o*o*o*

It seemed like half of class 1-A, and some guys from class 1-B, wanted to help him too, and Midoriya didn't realize how many favor's he'd built up from all these classmates. Jiro offered him a guitar pick as a "get well soon" token and a few gruff words of encouragement, and Koji Koda gave him an earnest nod of support. Aoyama offered to sew sequins onto Midoriya's jacket to cheer him up (an offer flatly refused), and Reiko Yanagi gave him a helpful pat on the head and a barely-relevant Edgar Allan Poe quote. Neito Monoma, meanwhile, gave him a middle finger that earned him a stern whack on the head from Itsuka. Damn, that girl was a regular hero.

But Ochaco had the real gift: a written note asking him to meet her privately in the school's gym to talk, since the volleyball team's practice session got moved to tomorrow.

Midoriya was dying for the last class of the day to let out, and when it did, he bolted for the empty gym. He found Ochaco sitting on the bottom row of bleachers, and she waved to call him over.

"Hey." Midoriya sat next to her.

"Hey yourself." Ochaco clenched her fists nervously on her lap, but she made a watery smile. "Um, Deku..."

"What is it?"

Ochaco made a vague wince. "I-I understand if you don't want me as your date to the dance anymore."

Midoriya stared. "Huh?"

"Things have gotten so awkward, haven't they?" Ochaco looked down at her lap. "You told me that you love me, and I had to shoot you down. I'm guessing..." She swallowed. "...you don't want to see my face anymore, do you?"

"N-no, it's totally the opposite!" Midoriya motioned frantically. "Ochaco, I _always_ love your company!"

"Thanks, Izuku." Ochaco didn't look totally convinced, though.

Midoriya leaned forward a bit. "I'm not kidding. Things are weird between us. I know. But I'm not going to push you away like that."

"... All right." Ochaco giggled nervously. "Izuku, I _do_ still want to be your dance partner on the 23rd. It's just that I totally get it if you wanted to call it off."

"But I don't."

Ochaco looked bashful as she went bright pink. "You... really still want to take me to the Christmas dance? Even after all this?"

"Sure I do! You're my good friend, Ochaco, even if we can't be together like... like _that_." Midoriya took a deep breath. "I'll admit it: I was pretty crushed when you turned me down. I hate it that your family has to move, and it's gonna hurt for a long time." He kept his eyes fixed right on hers. "But you're my _friend_ , Ochaco. I want you in my life right up to the last minute."

Ochaco stared at him in awe. Then a delighted smile blossomed across her face. "Izuku, that's so sweet of you to say!"

"Well, that's how it is." Midoriya couldn't help a return smile. "Stick around, new girl."

"Okay." Ochaco nodded. "And you know what..." She cupped her hands on her head, bashfully turning away. "I feel the same way. I want as much Deku time as I can get until I move away! No more hiding!"

Midoriya's heart soared. Over the past few days, it was like Ochaco had built this barrier between them. It was like she had already moved out of town. But this... it sounded like she thought that he was angry with her. Turned out she wanted him back in her daily life the whole time! "I'm right here, babe. I'm all yours."

"I can always count on you, Deku." Ochaco turned back and wiped her watery eyes, sniffing. "Oh, gosh. I didn't mean to..."

"Let me put it this way: I can get past my feelings if it means taking you to the dance," Midoriya said earnestly. More than one late-night talk with his mom had helped him figure this out. His mom was a regular hero, too. "I can do this."

Ochaco sniffed again. "Y-you're sure about this, Izuku? It won't be weird or anything?"

"Nope. I want to take you to the Christmas dance. I want you as my dance partner as my good friend Ochaco Uraraka."

Ochaco put a hand over her mouth. "Izuku, I... I hardly know what to say."

Midoriya shrugged. "Honestly... maybe I'm more emotionally mature than I thought. Maybe I just know how to grin and bear it like a champ. But even if I can't have you as my girlfriend, and even if you're going away... I want this."

Ochaco embraced him in a tight hug, happy tears everywhere. "You're such a wonderful friend, Izuku!" she wailed. "I'll never meet anyone like you again!"

"Same for me. You're one of a kind." Midoriya held her, patting her back.

"I'm _so_ going to miss you."

"And I you."

"I don't want this last week to ever end."

"Neither do I."

"I want motchi."

"I do - hey, that's just silly!" Midoriya burst out laughing. "And I thought we were having a moment."

Ochaco let him go, giggling as she wiped her eyes some more. "I had to break the tension. It was killing me." She stood up and offered her hand. "Let's go get motchi at that shop near Mina's house. I'll buy."

"Thanks, Ochaco." Midoriya took her hand and headed out of the gym to join the last of the students who were leaving the premises.

Ochaco was humming happily to herself. "I have a really nice gown ready for the dance the day after tomorrow. I promise I'll look nice."

"Looking forward to it." Midoriya beamed.

"Mmmmmm... just you wait, Deku. In fact, I have a few ideas on what poses we can do for our photo session as a couple."

"You had all this figured out, even if you thought I'd want to cancel on you?"

"I always think things through, Deku. It's what I do."

"Do tell..."

They chatted all the way to the motchi shop and all the way back to their neighboring houses, and by then, the sun was really starting to get low on the horizon. Midoriya waved good-bye as Ochaco went into her home, and he headed for his own front door in unexpectly good spirits. How the heck had he rolled out of bed this morning feeling like a wreck? This was a fine Christmas after all, even if it was his last big moment with Ochaco. Whether five minutes or five hours, he'd always cherish the time he spent with her at the dance while she was still a shining part of his life for these last few days.

Midoriya almost laughed at himself as he crossed the empty living room. And he thought Iida and Fumikage were sentimental...!


	31. Chapter 31

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 31: The Big Fat School Dance (you knew it was coming)**

"Ochaco, you... you look great."

Midoriya couldn't help a big smile as he stepped onto his front porch to meet his school dance date. He was already dressed to the nines (where did that expression come from, anyway?), in his tailor-made black slacks and shoes, green button-up shirt, and black jacket. Best Jeanist charged him and arm and two legs for it, so thank goodness he got another chance to wear this thing.

Ochaco looked bashful in the evening light. "You think so?"

"I sure do."

Ochaco wore a light lavender, knee-length gown with a satiny finish and spaghetti straps and lace on the bust. That, and her gold wrist bangle and black flats, made for a lovely combination. Or at least Midoriya thought so. He wasn't the fashion expert around here (he knew who they were), but darn it, Ochaco looked stunning this evening.

"You're kind to say that." Ochaco went a delicate shade of pink. "You look really nice, too. Weren't those the clothes you wore to Momo's birthday party back in September?"

Midoriya gently tugged on the jacket. "Yeah, it is. Still fits."

"You'll be the most handsome boy at the dance."

"Not if Shoto's there. That guy's like a gravity well for girls."

"Well _I_ think you'll be just fine." Ochaco wrapped har arm around Midoriya's and got him moving. "Let's get moving. One of those shuttle vans will be here soon. It's almost 7:00."

"Oh, right." Midoriya was impressed with one of Ms. Kayama's last-minute ideas: rent some shuttle vans to take students to the school dance. One of them ran through this neighborhood, and it was bound to have some other students it, too. Sure enough -

"What's up, guys?" Kirishima was slouched happily on one of the van's back seats, his arm draped around a familiar girl's shoulders. "Welcome to the limo."

"I'm telling you, this isn't a proper limo," the driver told him, clearly annoyed.

Kirishima waved a hand. "Man, whatever."

"Hi, Ibara," Ochaco said brightly as she climbed into the van with her (platonic) date. "You look wonderful!"

Ibara Shiozaki of class 1-B made a modest smile. "Thank you, Uraraka. As do you. I hoped this would work well for a school dance. I haven't done this sort of thing before..." She wore an eggshell-white gown that looked more like a robe than anything. She totally contrasted with Kirishima's black outfit and dark purple button-up shirt, like black and white chess pieces. Checkmate!

"How'd you guys end up as partners to the dance?" Midoriya asked as the van got moving.

"He asked me to go, and I said yes," Ibara explained.

There was a lingering silence.

"Is there... more to that story?" Ochaco asked.

Ibara blinked. "Why, no. After that, I resumed studying until the lunch bell rang. But that part isn't interesting."

"What can I say? I'm a simple man," Kirishima said grandly.

"No kidding," Midoriya teased him. "I hope your dance skills are a bit fancier."

Kirishima went a sickly green. "Uh... sure." He awkwardly glanced away.

 _You're in for it, honey,_ Midoriya thought to Ibara as the vine-haired girl smoothed her gown.

That wasn't all. The van also picked up two students from class 2-A, and finally, two students from class 3-B as well. It was kinda a relief to pile out of that thing onto the school's front grounds. And boy was the place busy! It was a mercifully temperate December evening, so no one was too chilly out here (if it were cold enough for talking snowmen, we'd have a problem). Normally, this place wasn't terribly colorful since everyone had their uniforms on during a school day. But tonight, it was like a huge, babbling, giggling, excited rainbow of colors. Like a box of crayons. Or...

"Deku! About time, kiddo," Bakugo said, emerging from the crowd, hands in his pockets. He made a cocky grin. "I thought you were gonna bail on us." He, too, wore his Momo-birthday-party-outfit, with a red button-up shirt and black jacket, pants, and polished shoes. He even had that gold watch Best Jeanist had given him to complete the outfit.

Midoriya scowled. "Dude. What kind of scaredy-pants do you take me for?"

"Whatever. You guys ready to rock and roll? Mirio and that Neito loser put together a great soundtrack. And Fumikage and I can _assure_ you that the concessions table is jacked."

Ochaco looked confused. "Meaning...?"

"I've got the right snacks out to keep you going 'till dawn. For the party animals out there."

Ochaco giggled. "Thanks, Bakugo, but I'll stick to my grandma sleep schedule. Well, I _might_ stay up a bit later if Deku here is a really good dancer..." She patted her date's chest in a you'd-better-prove-me-right kind of way.

Midoriya blinked. "Hey, where's _your_ date, Kacchan? You're the only bro here without a lady on his arm."

"U-um..." Bakugo went red and looked away. "She's just here as my friend. Went to go chat with her gal-pals before the dance starts."

Ochaco gasped. "So you _did_ bring a date!"

Bakugo scowled. "Don't be all surprised, Uraraka! I have plenty of game!"

"Who is it? Tell me!"

"Who cares." But Bakugo looked like he indeed cared. Super-cared, even.

"Is it Himiko Toga?" Ochaco guessed.

Bakugo nearly choked. "That devil girl? What the hell!"

"Jiro?" Midoriya asked.

"No, she came with friends from another school. We can come with out-of-school guests, remember?"

"Yeah, I know. So is it... that scary-looking punk girl from class 3-B?"

Bakugo sighed. "What, you guys think I only like tough girls?"

"Don't you?" Ochaco asked.

Bakugo went even redder. "I like... well, girly girls, actually."

"Oh!" Ochaco clapped a hand over her mouth. "Is it Kinoko Komori from class 1-B? She's cute."

"No, she came here with Shihai Kuroiro. I saw 'em earlier."

"Is it Yui Kodai?" Midoriya ventured.

Bakugo whirled around and stormed off. "Forget it! D'you have to keep grilling me like that? Sheesh!" He melted into the crowd.

Ochaco giggled again. "Oh, this is lovely. Katsuki brought a real cutie to the dance but got tongue-tied about it. I should make a bet with Mina to see who it is."

"I'm still 50% sure it's Toga," Midoriya said. "I'm Toga's first choice, yeah, but she likes bad boys too."

Ochaco didn't get a chance to respond. Up ahead at the front doors, coach Yagi cleared his throat and spoke up. That goliath of a man didn't even need a megaphone to speak over the chattering crowd of teenagers. "Thank you all for showing up tonight!" he boomed. He wore a dark red suit with blue and white accents on it. "And now, the moment you've been waiting for is almost here. The dance floor is about to open! Give a hand for the party planning committee for making this evening possible!"

He clapped his huge hands together, and there was a scattering of applause. Most of the students just wanted to get in there already!

One of the girls raised her hand. "Coach Yagi!"

Yagi pointed at her. "Yes! Young lady in the red gown?"

"Who's _your_ date?"

There was a lot of giggling, but coach Yagi didn't looked fazed. "That's a secret," the burly man said, putting a finger to his lips. He raised his other hand. "And now, I declare the dance... _open_!"

He stepped aside, and students rushed for the front doors and through the school's well-lit front halls toward the waiting gymnasium. Midoriya looked to Ochaco. "Ready?"

She gave him a nod. "Yeah!"

It didn't take long to see the long-overdue fruits of everyone's efforts.

"This is amazing!" Ochaco clapped a hand over her mouth again, her brown eyes wide as she took in the scene. The huge gym was totally overhauled for Christmas, with a line of ten artificial fir trees along one side, dusted with fake snow and decked out with the ornaments Ochaco had provided. Not only that, but at Bakugo's request, Tsuyu had purchased and set up the giant Nutty the Nutcracker (what a terrible name) near the trees, and there were red, gold, and silver streamers and balloons to help fill out the decorations. Not to mention the huge wreath on each wall, covered in ornaments, bells, and lights.

"Hey, Toga really came through," Midoriya commented brightly. That devil girl had done a 180 and provided rigs of lights that made the place feel festive and fun, and everyone had received a ticket stub to show that they were allowed here in the dance. Midoriya spotted some guests from other schools here too, and he realized that both Itsuka and Yosetsu from class 1-B had friends from other schools. Would Midoriya _finally_ meet them?

"How are you all tonight?" Mirio Togata boomed from his and Neito's DJ table, dressed in a white suit with a blue tie. "Make some noise!"

The students obliged, and Mirio looked thrilled while Neito clapped his hands over his ears.

Mirio waved his arms. "Come on, make some real noise!"

The students obliged that too, and Neito ducked under the table to escape.

"Great! So why don't put I put on a little music?" Mirio put on a vinyl record (so retro!) and indeed started the music at a pretty high volume.

Midoriya what just trying to decide which dance moves to attempt when Ochaco got hold of him and took charge of the situation (thank goodness). Awkwardly at first, but gaining momentum, both Midoriya and Ochaco started dancing with the crowd, and darn it, this was great fun!

"You're not half bad, Deku!" Ochaco cried over the din as Mirio faded his song into a new one.

"You think so? For real?"

"Yeah! Show me those moves!"

Midoriya did, or at least tried. Whatever he was doing, Ochaco liked it, so that was good enough for him. And the whole time, Midoriya stole glances at the crowd to see what was going on out there. He spotted some established couples right away: Mina and Denki were nearby, doing some weird salsa-like dance move, and few songs later, Momo and Iida happened by, both of them dressed classier than anyone here (what a surprise).

"Ochaco! Izuku! You both look wonderful," Momo said fondly over the music.

"Indeed! Most excellent!" Iida added.

"Thanks, guys," Midoriya said simply, while Ochaco invited them over for a group dance. Uh-oh!

Okay, not _that_ much uh-oh. It actually turned out okay, and a few more couples got the same idea. Not all of them, though.

"Dance with us!" Ochaco cried breathlessly as Fumikage and Reiko Yanagi both happened by.

"Sorry, no can do," Fumikage said. "We're doing great."

They were doing... something or other. Predictably, Fumikage wore an all-black ensemble with a skull-pattern tie (wow, really?), and Reiko wore what looked like a pitch-black funeral gown, complete with elbow-length lace gloves and a veil over her face. Sheesh, who died?

Midoriya was starting to get tired, and some of the other students were, too. So, Neito took over the music and let Mirio dance with his partner (the lovely Nejire) and played some slower music. Some of the students took this as a cue to make a concessions break, and they tried out Bakugo and Fumikage's generous snack bar or else sat at the round tables at the far end of the gym to cool off. Even the tables looked great, with red and green tablecloths and festive centerpieces Tsuyu had found at a boutique shop online.

"Guys! Hey!"

Midoriya and Ochaco were halfway to the concession table when Yosetsu caught up with them, waving an arm. He wore a light gray tuxedo with a red bow tie, and was still wearing that blue and white bandana. Some things never change.

"Oh! Hi there!" Ochaco beamed. "Nice to see you again. This dance is so much fun!"

"Yeah." Yosetsu wiped his brow. He looked like he was fighting a huge grin. "I did it, guys. My girlfriend got permission to come here as a guest! I want you to meet her."

"Not a bad idea," Midoriya said. "She sound really cool. Where'd she go?"

"She was right behind me." Yosetsu whirled around and beheld empty air. Bummer.

"Is she already seated?" Ochaco glanced over at the tables, which were filling up fast. Each could seat eight students or so.

Yosetsu shaded his eyes from the lights and scanned the tables. "Uh... no, she ain't there. Dammit! I lost her!"

"She'll turn up," Midoriya assured him.

"Yeah, I hope," Yosetsu said. "I swear she's real! I'm not making her up to look good."

Ochaco made a sympathetic noise. "We don't think you're making her up, Yosetsu. Who would be cynical enough to do that?"

Yosetsu counted on his fingers. "Neito, Manga, Jurota, Tetsutetsu, that Mineta kid in your class, and pretty much everyone in class 1-C. Oh, and all of the second years."

Ochaco held a hand over her heart. "How could they? I ought to give them a stern talking-to! They need to learn some proper manners!"

 _Grandma indeed,_ Midoriya couldn't help but think. But at least Ochaco's heart was in the right place.

"Hey, have you seen Bakugo?" Midoriya asked. "We want to see who his date turned out to be."

Yosetsu broke into a grin. "That? You gotta see it to believe it, Midoriya."

"Who is it?"

"Go and see. Anyway, I gotta find my lady. Excuse me..." Yosetsu put on his game face and marched back into the crowd.

Ochaco looked to Midoriya with a smile. "Care to take a water break?"

Midoriya nodded. "I could use a breather..."


	32. Chapter 32

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 32: Plans for Winter Break (pack your bags, kids)**

Bakugo wasn't kidding. He and Fumikage had slapped together one heck of a buffet, and Midoriya didn't even know where to start. But after getting jostled by more than a few other impatient, hungry students, he grabbed snacks at random, piled up his paper plate, and joined Ochaco at one of the few free tables at the other side of the gym. By now, things were about 50-50 between the dance party and students taking a break.

"Whew. I haven't danced this much since middle school," Ochaco commented as she popped a few Chex Mix pieces into her mouth. "I was trying to get into traditional dance back then."

Another Ochaco fact Midoriya didn't know! He tried a few Graham crackers from his plate and decided that only little kids should eat those things. "That sounds really cool."

"Well..." Ochaco giggled nervously. "It... didn't turn out so well. And there were some girls at my middle school who were _much_ better at it than me. It was around that time I decided to study construction instead."

"What's up, guys." A wild Bakugo appeared, and he sank casually into one of the free seats at that table with his date, Setsuna Tokage.

Setsuna?!

Ochaco gasped in delight and nearly choked on Chex Mix. She coughed. "K-Katsuki! I didn't know your date was...!"

"He asked me five times," Setsuna informed her, smoothing her sparky blue gown. She wore fingerless, elbow-length gloves like some _Super Smash Bros._ characters would. "The first time, I said no. The second time, I said hell no. The third time -"

"And the fifth time, she said yes!" Bakugo cut in, clearly not enjoying that unflattering history.

"How much did you bribe her?" Midoriya teased.

"Uh... I helped her study for the midterms. She was behind on Japanese history." Bakugo looked embarrassed and glanced away.

Setsuna chuckled and lightly traced her fingers down Bakugo's arm. "And _I_ helped him catch up on English. Turns out, we really make a good team. This was after the third no, by the way."

Midoriya blinked. "There was fourth 'no' even after sparks were flying at the study sessions?"

Setsuna snapped her fingers and smiled widely. " _Sparks were flying_! That's the expression I was looking for! Yeah, things started to heat up after that, and Katsuki worked up the guts to ask me again. But he did it so half-heartedly, I wanted him to put some real effort into it next time, so I played hard to get. So I called Itsuka for advice -"

"And a long story short, here we are!" Bakugo cut in again, turning back to face his friends. He rolled his eyes. "Setsuna, do you have to tell _everyone_ that story?"

Setsuna casually leaned her elbow on the table, her chin resting on her palm. "Maybe."

"Maybe not, you creep!"

"Mmmmmmm... is that any way to treat your date?"

"I could ask _you_ that!"

"Then let's make it up to each other." Setsuna tossed her dark green hair, took Bakugo's arm, and escorted him to the dance floor where (to Neito's credit) a great song was playing.

Ochaco fondly watched them go. "They're wonderful together. Setsuna's so pretty and fun. Bakugo's one lucky stud."

Midoriya didn't get a chance to comment. At that very moment, three more couples arrived and made themselves at home: Mina and Denki, Momo and Iida, and Mirio and Nejire Hado.

"Is this a killer party or what?" Denki said excitedly, digging in to his plate of snacks rather sloppily.

Momo made a face. "It's a lovely dance, not a _killer_ anything. And please don't choke on that."

Too late; a gummy worm found its way down Denki's windpipe, and Mina had to thump his back to extract that sucker.

Denki coughed into his fist. "Do pardon me. The hors oeuvre presumed to make its way into my windpipe most rudely."

Mina giggled. "Slow down, honey. We have all night." She kissed his cheek. Then she tilted back her plastic cup and downed that strawberry punch like a champ. She slammed the empty cup back down like a thirsty Viking. "Another!"

Momo sighed.

"Anyway..." Mirio had an arm draped over Nejire's shoulders. "What's everyone got planned for winter break? Anything good coming up?"

Momo delicately patted her lips with a paper napkin even though she hadn't eaten or drank anything yet. "My parents and I are flying to Switzerland to ski on the Alps. We'll also experience the sights and sounds of Geneva and Bern while we're there."

Mina's jaw dropped. "What? You fancy-pants rich girl! Switzerland? What's next, the moon?"

"I'll go to the moon!" Denki raised his hand eagerly. "I'll be the first man to plant Japan's flag on it. The American flag is getting lonely up there."

Mina patted her boyfriend's chest. "Can I come?"

"Of course, babe! I love you on _any_ planet."

"The moon is a _moon_ , hence the name," Iida said politely. "Dear me, Denki, but you would not have lasted long at the science bowl."

Denki looked sour. "I almost made it onto the team. Me _and_ Mina! But coach Yagi was being all 'ooooh, Mei and Itsuka and Shoto and whatever! Be my best friends!' Well, that could've been us."

"If that happened, the team would have placed _way_ lower than second," Shoto commented as he passed by.

Denki slammed his head on the table's surface.

"Well, I can't quite make it to Switzerland, but I'm visiting South Korea with my family," Mirio put in happily. "I went there once in 5th grade. Seoul is really cool."

"And I'll miss you," Nejire said fondly, kissing his cheek.

"Oh. You're not going with him?" Ochaco asked, clearly disappointed.

Nejire shook her head. "I have an internship lined up at a bank. I know, not terribly glamorous, but it's a wonderful position! I'm taking fewer classes next semester so I have time. I want to graduate high school with a strong start!" She clenched an optimistic fist, sparkles in her eyes.

 _Maybe they're the power couple after all,_ Midoriya thought. Sheesh, no one around here did anything halfway, did they? Except that time Bakugo made a shoddy bicycle stunt ramp and nearly broke his collar bone using it. Poor dumb Bakugo...

"I'm just going to have fun at home," Mina said simply. "I can't afford to go to Europe or whatever, but my cousins from Yokohama are coming to visit. It'll be fun! Denki can't wait to meet them."

Denki blinked. "Huh? I never said -"

Mina gave him a stern look.

"I-I never said I _wouldn't_ want to meet them!"

Mina gave him a fond look.

Iida nodded. "I see. Uraraka, Midoriya? You're one of the hot new couples, as I understand it. Perhaps you have thrilling winter vacation plans as well?"

 _I knew it!_ Midoriya tried not to wince as his insides froze up. What was he gonna say? He and Ochaco weren't meant to be... but Ochaco didn't want to make a scene by explaining her move, or get smothered with sympathy she wasn't looking for...

"We're still deciding," Ochaco said, looking distinctly uncomfortable. "We have... busy schedules. But we'll each figure something out."

"Ah. That's the spirit," Momo said brightly. She reached over and clasped Iida's hand in hers. "Ochaco, it's clear what is going on here."

Ochaco jolted. "Y-yeah?"

Momo beamed. "You and Midoriya are in love for the first time, so you're taking matters one step at a time. I completely understand. Go at your own pace."

Now Ochaco was visibly sweating. "Y-yeah. Thanks. I gotta visit the ladies' room..." She sprang from her feet and hurried away.

"Me too!" Mina also sprang to her feet and hurried away.

Mirio glanced over at the dance floor. "Well, I think it's my turn to be the DJ master." He kissed Nejire's cheek and stood up. "After my shift at the table, we'll dance some more, okay?"

Nejire beamed. "Yeah!"

A lot of the students at the tables were now getting up to resume dancing, while the current dancers were coming over to take their own break. So, Midoriya and the others got up and mixed back into the crowd. At that very moment, like in a soap opera, his old nemesis showed up.

"DEKU!"

 _Oh, crud._ Midoriya braced himself as none other than Himiko Toga ambushed him like a tiger, throwing her arms around him. She wore a simple red gown with white lace and false pearl earrings.

"You and Ochaco look so cute together," Toga glowed. "But you know what, everyone has to take a break from their partners and try dancing with others. Right?"  
"Well... kind of." Midoriya indeed saw some other students swapping partners.

Toga got her hands into position and started doing a vigorous waltz with her new partner. "C'mon, just for one song?"

"O-okay, let's do it. But just one!"

Toga wasn't half bad, in fact. She was showing uncharacteristic restraint. Until she opened that yapper.

"Did you bring protection?"

Midoriya nearly tripped. "What the -?"

"When people say 'protection', they mean -"

"I know that! But do you mind?"  
Toga beamed like a tiger. "Just kidding." She was quiet for another minute. "But really... I'm so happy for you, Izuku darling. You're so happy now with Ochaco, and it makes me so proud of you. You and Katsuki were kinda... well... goofy, but not really serious about anything during the spring semester."

"Yeah, we were more like an Osakan comedy duo."

"Well, _I_ think you're all grown up, Izuku. You found love, and I wish you and Ochaco the best."

Midoriya felt that chill again, but he managed a wide grin all the same. "Thanks, Toga. You know what, you're a pretty great friend after all." Honestly. even if this love of his was doomed, it was thrilling to hear Toga support him like that.

"I know." Toga leaned her head on Izuku's shoulder. "And if it weren't for that Uraraka girl, I'd get you all to myself..." She tilted her head up and played with his ear lobe with her tongue.

Midoriya gently but firmly pushed her away. "And we're done. See you around."

He hurried to vanish into the crowd before that vixen could lasso him again. Close call!

"Izuku! Hey!"

 _Oh, what now?_ But Midoriya cheered up when he saw Yosetsu catch up to him, out of breath.

"My date is over by the tables," the other boy said, pointing. "Wanna meet her? And where's Ochaco?"

"In the girls' room," Midoriya said. "Maybe I should wait for her..."

"No, c'mon!"

Yosetsu practically dragged Midoriya to the appointed table, where four girls were seated. But it seemed that none of them was Yosetsu's date.

"Where'd she go?" Yosetsu demanded.

One of the girls giggled. "Oh, her? She just went to the ladies' room a second ago."

Yosetsu sighed. "I swear she's real..."

The girl looked confused. "Huh?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Yosetsu gave Midoriya a morose look as the boys made their way to the snack table for some more refreshments. "I can't believe it. I need to handcuff her and me together or something..."

Midoriya realized something. "If she's in the girls' room, maybe Ochaco met her and she can show me who your date is."

"You're right. Let's wait here..."

But when Ochaco returned and heard Midoriya's suggestion, she reported that several girls were in there at that time, and none of them introduced themselves as Yosetsu's date.

Yosetsu hung his head. "It'll be New Year's at this rate."

"Well, all the girls in there were very pretty," Ochaco said to comfort him. "I'm sure that your date is a real looker, Yosetsu! What does she look like?"

"Well, um... her hair's got this funny -" Yosetsu did some weird motion over his head before coach Yagi caused a total commotion by challenging the third years to a dance-off, with Ms. Kayama acting as the judge. Yosetsu slithered off in defeat.

Ochaco gently patted Midoriya's shoulder and escorted him through the exit and into the quiet hallway beyond.

Midoriya suddenly felt apprehensive. "Are you all right?"

"Sure, it's just..." Ochaco went pink and glanced away. "Am I making you uncomfortable, Deku?"

"What? No way! That's Denki's job!"

"Well..." Ochaco looked like she was fighting to get the words out. "We know that we can't be together much longer. Even if we both made peace with that fact, everyone's expecting us to stay together. It's getting really awkward."

Midoriya swallowed. "Are you sure that it's a bad idea to tell everyone about the move?"

Ochaco winced. "I don't know! I really don't know if I'm being a coward, or what. But I don't want my sudden move to overshadow everything, Deku. And I don't want to turn this dance a bunch of teary good-byes. I just want us all to have fun as ordinary friends."

"That's fair. But when you _do_ move, everyone's gonna see that you're gone. They might feel bad that you left without a word."

Ochaco's eyes watered and she held a hand over her mouth. "I know. It's really unpleasant either way, but I don't know how to handle this. Izuku, am I being a bad person?"

Midoriya embraced her and held her tight. "You're never a bad person, Ochaco. Anyone would get stuck in this dilemma. Whatever you choose to do, I'm behind you."

Ochaco sniffed as she held him in return. "Thank you, Deku. I knew I could count on you. Even if I'm being selfish and scared."

"Don't say that. Let's go back to the dance and have that great evening you wanted."

And they sure did. It was starting to get late, but Midoriya felt energetic and full of pep and he and Ochaco danced to the great music and traded partners a few times for variety (like the other students did, too). Mina led Kirishima through a lively dance that he could barely keep up with, and Iida did his best to try dancing with a timid but well-meaning Kinoko Komori. And that Manga Fukidashi guy had "woo-hoo!" wirtten in his speech-bubble head as he danced with the elegant, classy, Switzerland-bound Momo Yaoyorozu.

Midoriya managed to dodge Toga's advances, but he did end up dancing a number with Toru (she was an excellent dancer like Mina), and he even shared a song with Jiro, who wasn't that great but looked like she was having a blast. And he even ended up with Reiko somehow, with Fumikage's solemn blessing.

"I can see it in your eyes, Izuku," Reiko said as they somehow did a slow, somber dance to a very lively tune that Mirio put on.

"See what?"

"The dark fate that haunts your soul like a midnight raven against the pearly white moon..."

"Gee, you got me."

"Ah. I knew it."

"Sarcasm alert."

"Oops."

After _that_ , Midoriya got back together with Ochaco for the slow dance, where everyone reunited with their original partners. Ochaco didn't say a word the whole time, instead resting her head fondly on Midoriya's shoulders. She was still quiet up until their turn to pose for the photographer.

"Thank you, Deku," she said as the camera man got ready to shoot. Tears glimmered in her eyes. "For tonight."

"Anything for you, babe."

The shot probably showed a teary Ochaco, but heck, she was smiling widely. Tears of joy it is!

Too soon, it seemed, the party was winding down, and students started leaving. Mina and Denki swore to stay until the last possible second (and they weren't alone), but much of classes 1-A and 1-B, and a lot of 1-C and 1-D, were wrapping things up. Midoriya didn't want this night to end with the best girl in the world. And it was still killing him that he'd have to say good-bye. But why linger on that? Any grown-up would focus instead on the good parts of all this. And boy, were there plenty.

"Guys! Look! Hurry!"

Once again, Yosetsu broke from the crowd to hunt down the Midoriya-Ochaco couple, and he frantically pointed at the crowd.

"Huh?" Ochaco blinked.

Yosetsu kept pointing. "I got separated from my date again. But I just saw her! Look! There she is! In the silver and pink dress!"

"Where?" Midoriya hastily checked the crowd for a girl matching that profile. He felt a thrill of excitement as he indeed saw a young woman in that outfit, but he barely got a glimpse of her before she rounded the corner and vanished.

"I think I saw her!" Ochaco cried. "I saw her face, too."

Yosetsu looked relieved. "You did? For real?"

"I did. She was in the girls' room with me earlier, touching up her eyeliner. Right next to me."

"Now I'm jealous," Midoriya admitted. "You got an eyeful of Yosetsu's date." He winced. "I could have phrased that better..."

Ochaco smiled. "She's so beautiful, Yosetsu. I'm rooting for the both of you."

Yosetsu broke into a wide grin. "Thanks. And the same for you guys! I'm rooting like hell for you!" He clapped each of them on the shoulder with his hands. "Okay, I gotta go. I'm keeping her waiting. See ya next semester!" He hurried off to meet his slightly-less-mysterious date.

Midoriya gave Ochaco a hopeful look. "I don't suppose you got her name?"

Ochaco smiled and shook her head. "Sorry. She complimented my hair, then had to hurry along. We didn't get a chance to talk much."

Midoriya hung his head. "Just who the heck is she?"

"A celebrity, remember? She has to stay anonymous for security reasons." Ochaco smiled and put a finger to her lips.  
"Yeah... you're right. She's another story for another time."

"What a lovely story that must be. I wonder what it would be like?"

She and Midoriya brainstormed all kinds of ideas on the drive back home in the waiting shuttle van. Maybe the celebrity girl was a pop idol who performed in Tokyo? No, that didn't sound right... maybe a scuba diver... no, no one got famous for that... was she secretly a magical girl with special powers? Don't be silly...

Midoriya gave Ochaco a fond good-night when they arrived at their neighboring houses, and he knew full well that by this time next week, she'd be gone. It was hard to accept, even now. But he was getting there, and based on how cheerful Ochaco looked when she said good-night and went inside, she was "getting there" too.

That would do just fine.


	33. Chapter 33

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Chapter 33: Whatever May Come Next (don't regret it!)**

"... and _time_!"

Ms. Kayama glanced up at the clock just as the final class concluded, and guess what that meant... finals were over, everyone was totally free for winter break! Joy to the world!

Kinda bittersweet in Midoriya's case, though, even if he aced this test (Ms. Kayama made her exams super easy). He glanced over at Ochaco, who had just finished her own test and set down her pencil. She had been so quiet today on the 24th, and Midoriya didn't blame her. Poor girl didn't know what on earth to do. She hadn't told anyone except Midoriya and Tsuyu about the move. Was it eating her up to not tell her beloved classmates at large?

Well, resolving this problem was up to her, and Midoriya had no business telling her what to do. He trusted her.

"Whoo- _ee_! We're done!" Bakugo clapped Midoriya pretty hard on the back as they both trotted across the snowy front grounds with the rest of the students. "Buck up, Deku! You look like your dog just died!"

"I... might have messed up the history final," Midoriya invented. "I didn't study it hard enough."

"Like hell. You always do just fine, you egghead."

Midoriya couldn't help a grin. "You get the same grades as me. What does that make _you_?"

Bakugo made a funny motion. "One cool guy."

"Oh, sure it does."

"I just can't stop _sparkling_!" Yoga Aoyama was saying nearby, doing a funny spinning dance as he went along. "I'm so happy on this day!"

"We're _all_ glad to be done with the pain in the butt finals," Jiro said, rolling her eyes. "Just make sure you didn't fail anything. I saw you sweating bullets during the math final..."

"Uh..." Aoyama winced and put the brakes on his happy dance, and Toru burst out laughing.

"Well, that English final tore me to shreds and scattered me to the four winds, so don't feel too bad, Aoyama," she said.

Aoyama patted Toru on the back. " _Non non, ma cherie,_ you are most brilliant, like a diamond."

"Awww, that's so nice to say," Toru gushed. "Let's get some hot chocolate at the coffee shop. It's freezing out here."

"Let's!" Aoyama took her hand and led her along, his confident sparkling back in full force.

Midoriya couldn't believe his eyes. Either he was oblivious to this friendship, or Toru was finally about to add her own name to that little pink relationship-tracker notebook of hers.

Good for her!

Bakugo snorted. "Look at 'em go. I'm seein' couple-y nonsense everywhere. This place needs better PDA rules or I'll need to gouge my eyeballs out with a spoon."

Now it was Midoriya who snorted. "Says the stud who brought Setsuna Tokage to the dance yesterday."

Bakugo went pink. "We went as friends. Ain't nothin' between us."

"You sound so disappointed, Kacchan."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?"

"I'm rooting for you, King Explosion Murder."

"Don't say that stupid name!" Bakugo's hair stood on end. "You want a butt-kickin'?"

"If you can catch me, my King."

"You're askin' for it, kid!" Bakugo glared daggers at him, then broke out laughing and clapped a hand on Midoriya's back again. "Just promise you'll do somethin' cool on your break so you can tell me about it. I'll be lucky if doing laundry will be the highlight of my week."

"You really need a new hobby. This isn't bike or skateboard weather."

Bakugo hung his head. "And my PlayStation broke."

"It _what_?"

"It lost a fight with my canned tea."

"Meaning you spilled it like a klutz."

Bakugo's quirk sizzled on his palms. "You definitely want that butt-kickin'!"

"You wouldn't dare..."

The boys jabbed each other back and forth until the parted ways at an intersection, and now that things were quiet again, Midoriya trudged his way back home more slowly. Bakugo was always a hoot... and he'd better be, if Ochaco was leaving his life later this week.

 _Ochaco... it still feels like you just got here._

He turned the corner and saw the Uraraka house. Midoriya knew that it would be empty too soon.

Still...

"Izuku! What a pleasant surprise," Mr. Uraraka said brightly when Midoriya buzzed their doorbell. "School just let out, didn't it?"

"Right."

"Ochaco's here too, but she didn't say a word. I think she's avoiding her mother and me." Mr. Uraraka looked a little downcast.

Midoriya swallowed. "Is she in her room?"

"Yes, she just went in there."

"May I visit her?"

Mr. Uraraka had a warm, paternal look on his face as he stepped aside. "Come in, kiddo."

"Thanks." Midoriya hastily pulled off his shoes, set aside his school bag, and hurried up the stairs to a familiar bedroom he'd only twice before visited. He knocked.

"I'm fine, dad," Ochaco's muffled voice said from behind the door.

"It's me. Can I come in?"

"Deku?"

There were a few seconds of silence. Then Midoriya heard light footsteps on the wooden floor, and the door creaked inwards. Ochaco stood there, still in her school uniform, minus its red tie.

Ochaco made a hasty smile. "Hey there."

Midoriya felt himself flush. Ochaco looked so perfect, standing there in the doorway as the warm evening light poured through her room's window. "I... can I...?"

"Y-yeah." Ochaco stepped back and let Midoriya in, and she gently shut the door behind her guest. She looked bashful. "I started packing early. Force of habit, I think."

"Oh. Right." Midoriya scoped out the room, and indeed, most of Ochaco's things were already packed in labeled boxes, and her desk, bookshelf, and bedside table were now mostly bare. "Well, it still looks nice."

"Thanks, Deku."

They stood there for a few tense seconds, unsure what came next.

Then -

"I-Izuku, I can't do it."

Midoriya turned back to face Ochaco, and was stunned to find her in tears. "Wh-what? What's the matter?"

Ochaco tightly held the hem of her uniform's skirt. "I can't do it. I can't just let... let _us_ be over! I can't end it like this!"

Midoriya did the first thing that popped into his head. He wrapped her in a tight embrace, and rested his chin on her shoulder.

"I know we have to say goodbye," Ochaco sobbed. "I won't see you again for a long time, Izuku. This is our last chance to... to..."

"To what?" Midoriya parted from Ochaco and held her shoulders.

Ochaco sniffed. "Izuku, I love you! I don't want our relationship to end!"

 _No way..._ Midoriya felt stunned by yet another shocker. What was going on here?

Ochaco made a hopeful smile. "On our date, you told me that you love me, Izuku. Well, I love you too! Even if we went to the school dance as friends! I want to be yours."

Midoriya lowered his hands, his brain totally scrambled by now. His mouth felt dry. Where on earth was this going? "Ochaco..."

"I've only been thinking about us since that night," Ochaco admitted. "I wanted to push you away and make it easy to leave on the 27th. But all I want is you, Izuku. I shouldn't have doubted our relationship." She clenched her fists by her sides. "No matter how far apart we are, I want you to be my boyfriend! Even if I end up in China! Or Italy! Or even Antarctica!"

Ochaco relaxed for a moment, then made a gentler smile and held a hand over her heart. "The more I think about it... distance doesn't matter, Izuku. I was so afraid that we'd drift apart once I moved. But if you love me as much as I love you, you'll always be right here." She patted her heart.

Midoriya finally managed to speak up. "Ochaco, you had every right to be careful. It would hurt so much to start something just to lose it."

"But I'm positive that I'm right this time!" Ochaco cried. "I have no more doubt. The way I feel when I look at you, and how much the school dance together meant to me... I'll never stop loving you." She had a fire in her eyes. "This can work. I'm sure of it!"

Midoriya knew what Ochaco wanted him to say next. And he had no doubt about it. "I'll always love you, Ochaco. No matter how far apart we are."

"Deku!" This time it was Ochaco who threw herself onto him, and this time she was cranking out the tears of joy. "I knew it! We can do this. No matter what happens."

They knelt on the floor, still holding each other. "I'll visit you," Ochaco added. "Whenever I can, I'll take a train or a plane or even a freakin' horse to come back here and see you and everyone. I want to hear your voice again, and hold your hand, and visit that motchi stand with you. Everything."

Midoriya felt light and carefree, like he was a quite happy balloon (better simile pending). "I'll look forward to it, Ochaco. I'll be right there at the train station, even if it's raining or snowing or a hurricane comes."

"And we can go to the same college," Ochaco added eagerly. "Let's apply to the same places!"

"Got anywhere in mind?"

"I hear that the University of Tokyo is kinda nice."

"Wh-whoa! You sure aim high."

"Will you go there with me, Deku?"

"Anywhere you want."

Who said long-distance couldn't work? It wasn't going to be great having this house empty starting on the 27th. No more girl next door. But...

"What else should we do when we're older?" Ochaco let Midoriya go and sat comfortably on the floor next to the wall, stretching her legs out. She set her hands on her lap.

Midoriya sat next to her. "We could see Mt. Fuji."

"Or Sapporo!"

"Or a zoo."

"Yeah! Or..."

The sun crept lower as they both brainstormed fun ideas for the future, and to their credit, Mr. and Mrs. Uraraka left them both alone even though it was dinnertime.

Then Midoriya remembered something.

"Hey, Ochaco. Should I tell everyone about how you're moving away? I can handle it."

Ochaco shook her head. "I can't ask you to do all that for me."

"But they ought to know -"

"That's right. Because I'll tell them."

"How?"

Ochaco got out her flip phone and opened it. "I'm gonna call each of our classmates on the phone tonight and tell them, one by one. I want to make it more personal that way, instead of just announcing it in class like I could have done today."

"So, you'll get a chance for a unique good-bye to everyone," Midoriya said with an approving nod. "Not bad."

"And some of the nice students in class 1-B. Like Itsuka and Yosetsu and Setsuna," Ochaco added fondly. "Izuku... I was being a coward, wanting to leave without a word."

"I'd never call you a coward."

Ochaco smiled wider. "Well, it's a moot point now. Even it takes all night, I'm calling everyone. I bet they'll be busy starting tomorrow, so I'd better get started soon."

"Can I get my good-bye, too?"

"Of course, silly." They both stood, and Ochaco took Midoriya's head in her hands and gave him a long, deep kiss. "I'll miss you every day," she breathed. "But whatever it takes, I'll see you again. That's what any good girlfriend would do."

 _Put it in your notebook, Toru. We're official!_ Midoriya kissed her back. "I'll be here."

The door flew open.

"GAAAAAH!" Midoriya yelped and scrambled back, nearly knocking over Ochaco's empty bookcase.

Mrs. Uraraka made a knowing smile. "I'm sorry to interrupt. But Ochaco, you _really_ ought to have some of this dinner that your father and I prepared for you."

Ochaco was bright red in the face and his it behind her hands. "O-okay, mom! Be right there!"

"Thank you, dear. And you have a good night too, lover boy," Mrs. Uraraka added to Midoriya with a generous wink.

Ochaco made an embarrassed noise. "Mom!"

"See you downstairs, Ochaco..." Mrs. Uraraka retreated downstairs.

Ochaco lowered her hands and stared down at her feet. "Okay, this got awkward."

Midoriya grinned. "I can live with it. Your parents are pretty cool."

"Yeah..."

It felt so hard to leave. But Midoriya was energized with new hope. _Ochaco._ She was his girlfriend. And nothing would drive them apart! "I should be going. I'll see you again, Ochaco. I Promise."

Ochaco back up and smiled at him, her hands clasped behind her back. "I promise, too. Have a good night, okay? Love you lots."

"Love ya too, babe." Midoriya still felt light as a feather as he went back down the stairs, and he glimpsed Ochaco's parents watching him carefully from the kitchen. Either they were about to interview him, or welcome him into the family right here and now. Better get outta here! Midoriya said hasty good-bye, slipped on his shoes, collected his school bag, and rushed out the door. By the time he stepped into his own house, he was somehow out of breath.

"Izuku." Inko was on the couch, watching yet another game show. She gave him a curious look. "Did you run all the way home? Is something wrong?"

Midoriya made a beeline for his bedroom. "No, nothing's wrong."

"So something good happened, dear?"

Midoriya gave his mom a smile over his shoulder as he left the living room. "You have no idea..."


	34. Epilogue

**Misfit High School!**

by Ulquiorra9000

 **Epilogue**

Winter break kicked in, and Midoriya was happy to take some time off from tests, studying, and the usual nonsense in Mr. Aizawa's homeroom class. Then again, every time he left the house, there was the empty house right next to his, where the Uraraka family had lived for almost four months. No one had moved in yet, but it felt funny to realize that Midoriya wouldn't have any more reason to go in there. Unless the next neighbors had a killer home entertainment system or an exotic pet!

One could hope.

"Ooooh! I did it!"

That afternoon on the January 1st, Kirishima let out a cheer and pumped a fist as he finally defeated Bakugo in the new fighting game that just came out. There they all were, five friends, killing an otherwise ho-hum afternoon at Bakugo's place like they used to do all the time in middle school. Midoriya, Kirishima, Bakugo, Denki, and Rikido Sato were all crammed into Bakugo's room, the TV on an aggressively high volume as the boys tried out this hot new fighting game on Bakugo's new PlayStation 4 (RIP old PS4). And don't forget the less-than-nutritious snacks, dirty jokes, rock 'n roll music coming from Bakugo's open laptop, and whatever else they could get their hands on.

Bakugo hung his head and passed his controller to Denki. "I messed up _one_ combo and this is where I end up. Avenge me, why don't ya?"

Denki made a sour face as he accepted the controller. "You don't sound too confident in me, pal."

"Caught that, did you?"

Sato finished off his bag of potato chips just as the next round started. "Katsuki, your mom doesn't mind all this racket, does she?"

"She ain't home yet," Bakugo told him with a shrug. "We've got another half hour -"

His bedroom door slapped the heck open and there stood a raging Mitsuki Bakugo. "KATSUKI! TURN DOWN THAT NOISE BEFORE I RIP THE GUTS OUT OF YOUR PLAYSTATION AND USE IT AS A GLORIFIED DOORSTOP!"

Bakugo ducked and covered his head as though expecting a tornado to pass over him. "Fine! Whatever!"

Mitsuki softened at once. "It's nice to see you boys getting along so nicely. I came home from work early, so I decided to say hi." she waved.

Ears still ringing, Midoriya timidly waved back. "H-hi."

"I'll be in the next room," Mitsuki added cheerily. "Catching up on paperwork." She glared at her son as though daring him to object, which he certainly didn't have the guts to do.

Mitsuki gently closed the door, and Bakugo sighed. "Man, I gotta get out of this house."

The door slammed open again. "I HEAR THERE'S PLENTY OF ROOM ON THE BUS STATION'S BENCHES!" she roared. "YOU INGRATE!"

"Love you too, mom."

Mitsuki closed the door a little harder this time.

Bakugo lowered his voice and experimentally said, "I love my mommy."

The door swung wide open again and Mitsuki wrapped her arms around Bakugo. "Why, I love you too! Thank you, Katsuki!"

Her quirk might as well be super-hearing! Midoriya and the others had a good laugh as Mitsuki nuzzled her son right in front of them, and by the time she left, Bakugo was redder than the cherry soda he'd just polished off.

"I try to be nice," he huffed. "And this is what happens. Back to ingrate it is."

He hastily checked the door but there was no Mitsuki inbound this time.

Denki ripped open a new bag of snacks. "Come at me, Kirishima. If I win, you owe me 500 yen."

Kirishima yelped. "I'm too young to gamble!"

"Chicken?"

"Gimme that controller!"

So they battled it out, and Denki eked out a win.

"I'm the man!" Denki hooted.

"Not for long," Bakugo warned him, taking back his controller. "I ain't losin' to you twice!"

The sun was low by the time Kirishima had to leave for dinner at his house, Sato had to go to his cooking class downtown, and Denki went to dinner at the Ashido household (look at him, showing off his fantastic relationship). Midoriya packed up his stuff to leave.

"So, you and Setsuna..." Midoriya teased his friend as he packed his controller into his bag.

Bakugo grunted. "There's no us."

"You sure? Things looked pretty steamy at the dance, Kacchan..."

"N-nothing happened!"

Midoriya zipped up his bag. "Give me a break. You're way into her. Give it a chance."

"Bah." Bakugo pouted and turned his head away, but Midoriya thought he saw a faint grin tugging at the other boy's lips. Close enough.

It was definitely starting to get dark by the time Midoriya left the Bakugo household and hurried his way to his own home. The opposite horizon was starting to turn a deep purple, and any minute now, the North Star would appear, that reliable old chap. It sure got dark early this time of year.

"Hey there, Deku."

"O -" Midoriya had just swung open his house's front door when a familiar brunette stood up from the couch, all smiles. Midoriya didn't have a chance to speak before Ochaco Uraraka leaped onto him and wrapped him in a tight hug.

"Ochaco!" Midoriya finished, almost too numb with shock to hug her back. "Wh-what... what are you..."

Ochaco held the collar of Midoriya's jacket and gave him a hot whopper of a hello-again kiss. "I just got back. The train are busy, and this was the best time I could manage for today. Miss me?"

Midoriya kissed her right back. "Every day. It's been less than a week, but it felt like a year!"

Ochaco smiled. "Try two years." She bashfully toyed with a lock of her hair. "My mom and dad and I are still getting settled into our new place. I was lucky I found time to visit."

"Ochaco, if things are busy, you could have waited a bit. You don't have to push yourself too hard."

Ochaco smiled. "I know. But I wanted us both to start the new off _just right_. I just couldn't wait another minute to see my favorite guy."

Midoriya almost laughed with relief and joy. "What did I do to deserve this?"

Ochaco patted his shoulder. "Your mom is giving us some private time this evening. Why don't you take me to that wonderful bistro downtown I've heard good things about? I've never been there. There's still lots of things in this town I haven't seen yet." She went pink. "And I want to see them all with you."

Midoriya thought back to the day he saw Ochaco for the first time, and when they both competed in the science bowl, or when they worked together in class 1-A's scary maid cafe, or when they saw Jiro's mom's band play at The Hell Hole, and the school dance and more. They were great memories. And now, in the new year, he'd get chances to make more with the best girl of all time. Starting right here on the inaugural day!

Midoriya kissed Ochaco's forehead. "Put on your coat. It's chilly out there."

"It sure is." Ochaco threw on her pink jacket and smoothed it out. "Ready?"

"Always."

 **The End!**


End file.
